Police Beat

Advertiser Staff

Electrical problem suspected in fire

The cause of a Wednesday fire that gutted a split-level, two-bedroom rental house at 2635-A Kalihi St. appears to be electrical, but investigators are awaiting test results, said Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Emmit Kane.

No one was injured in the 5:47 a.m. fire.

Damage was estimated at $250,000 to the structure and $30,000 to contents.

Big Island Bank of Hawaii robbed

KEAUHOU, Hawai'i — The KTA Super Store branch of Bank of Hawaii was robbed Wednesday of an undisclosed amount of cash by a man who presented a demand note to a teller. The robbery was reported at 9:40 a.m.

Anyone with information about the bank robber can call the West Hawai'i Criminal Investigation Division at 326-4207, or CrimeStoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona.

SUV driver dies in Maui accident

KIHEI, Maui — The driver of a sport utility vehicle died about 4 1/2 hours after a crash on Pi'ilani Highway on Wednesday.

Police said the man's 2003 Jeep veered into the right shoulder of the highway, climbed an embankment, flipped, and slid on its roof across both the north- and south-bound lanes at 9:25 a.m.

The driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, was pinned under the vehicle.

He died at the hospital at 2:06 p.m. Police have identified the man but are not releasing his name until his next of kin has been notified.

The death is Maui's 15th traffic fatality of 2003, compared with 19 by the same date late year.