Hawai'i briefs
Advertiser Staff
Shooting suspect charged as adult
Police yesterday charged 17-year-old Miti "Junior" Maugaotega Jr. as an adult on multiple felony counts in connection with the June 26 shooting of a Punchbowl man.
Family Court Judge Frances Wong and police Career Criminal Unit officers went to the Hawai'i Youth Correctional Facility to take custody of Maugaotega. He was charged at the central receiving cellblock at HPD's main station with attempted murder, first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, two firearm offenses, two counts of third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Maugaotega's bail is $500,000.
Maugaotega is accused of shooting of Eric Kawamoto at Kawamoto's Punchbowl home during a burglary. Maugaotega waived his right to a hearing on Wednesday, paving the way for him to be tried as an adult. Wong signed the waiver yesterday.
Boy, 15, dies after snorkeling accident
A 15-year-old boy visiting from Japan died Thursday, a week after a snorkeling accident in Waikoloa on the Big Island.
Police identified the victim as Yasumari Kurimoto of Mieken, Japan. The boy was found unconscious in 6 feet to 8 feet of water Aug. 20 in the Hilton Waikoloa Village lagoon. He was revived and taken to the North Kohala Community Hospital, then flown to Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu, where he died without regaining consciousness.
An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
Bone-marrow donors sought
Volunteers are being sought for the St. Francis Medical Center Hawai'i Bone Marrow Donor Registry from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today during the Okinawan Festival at Kapi'olani Park. The Hawai'i United Okinawan Association is helping with the drive. Donors must be between 18 and 60 years old and in good health. A sample of blood is collected from the donor for tissue typing, which is placed on the national registry at no cost to the donor. For more information, call 547-6154.
1 fined, 2 arrested in campaign probe
A woman was fined $100 yesterday after pleading no contest to two misdemeanor counts of making campaign contributions to Mayor Jeremy Harris under a false name.
Leona Nishimura was also ordered to pay $25 to the Crime Victims Compensation Fund.
Two others were arrested Thursday on suspicion of related charges.
John A. Adversalo, president of Architects Pacific Inc., was booked on suspicion of money laundering, illegally operating a business, making campaign contributions under a false name, and an illegal business practice called monopolization.
Jan H. Suzuki was booked on suspicion of money laundering and making false name contributions.
Both were released pending further investigation, and neither could be reached for comment.
The arrests were the latest in a long series linked to a wide-ranging probe of the mayor's campaign finances.
'Cop on Top' has raised $50,500
Honolulu police and state Sheriff's Division officers along with Safeway stores have raised more than $50,500 for Hawaii Special Olympics since officers took to the store's rooftops Thursday morning in the "Cop on Top" roof-sitting marathon.
Officers are spending three days and nights atop six of the grocery chain's stores. Special Olympics spokeswoman Noreen Conlin said officers who are close to the $10,000 per-site goal have vowed to stay on the rooftops until it is reached.
As of 9 p.m. yesterday, the Beretania Safeway was in the lead with $10,600 in donations and pledges, and reset its goal to $15,000. The Kane'ohe location tallied $10,000; Waimalu $8,380; Kihei, Maui, $8,237; Kailua $7,022; and Hawai'i Kai $7,000.
Store patrons can make donations at the sites. Call-in donations can be made on Oahu by calling 943-8808 on O'ahu or (888) 531-1888 on Neighbor Islands. In addition, Safeway has agreed to donate a portion of the proceeds of the sale of certain store items to Hawaii Special Olympics.
Dead snake found in plane wheel well
The remains of a snake were found crushed in the wheel well of a United Airlines jet Aug. 20 at Kahului Airport on Maui.
A United ground crew worker found the dead snake after the plane arrived from San Francisco. The headless snake measured 14 inches and was sent to the state Department of Agriculture's Plant Quarantine branch in Honolulu.
A reptile specialist at the Honolulu Zoo identified the remains as a type of gopher snake, which is found in North America and can grow up to 7 feet. Gopher snakes feed on small rodents, young rabbits, lizards, birds and their eggs.
Snakes are illegal in Hawai'i. Anyone with information about snakes or other illegal animals is asked to call the department's pest hot line at 586-7378.
