Police Beat
Advertiser Staff
Kalihi fire leaves 9 people homeless
Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser
Nine people from two families were displaced yesterday by a fire that caused extensive damage to the rear of a two-story Kalihi home.
From a neighbor's yard, Arturo Quereto watched firefighters battle a fire that damaged a second-floor unit above his ground-floor residence in Kalihi yesterday. The cause is under investigation. Nine people from two families were displaced by the 9:44 a.m. fire that caused extensive damage to the rear of the home at 920 Kalihi St. No one was injured.
Seven companies fought the fire at 920 Kalihi St., which started at 9:44 a.m. The fire was reported under control at 10:16 a.m. No one was injured.
Six adults from the family that owns the house, as well as a tenant family of two adults and a 13-year-old boy, were being assisted by the Red Cross.
Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Richard Soo said the fire started in a rear bedroom of the two-story building that is rented out. The cause is under investigation.
Volcano Highway crash kills woman
A 29-year-old Puna woman died yesterday morning in a head-on collision that occurred on Volcano Highway (Route 11) near Glenwood.
The victim was identified as Moana Balles, of a Volcano address in Puna.
Balles was driving a 1979 Toyota flatbed truck heading south when her vehicle crossed the centerline and into the oncoming traffic lane at about 6 a.m., police said. A 1987 Ford pickup truck driven by a 31-year-old Na'alehu man, tried to avoid the collision by moving to the right shoulder, but his truck was struck head-on by the victim's vehicle.
The victim was taken to the Hilo Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 9 a.m. The driver of the Ford also was taken to the Hilo hospital, where he was listed in guarded condition.
Traffic investigators are still investigating the crash and have ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Balles' death was the first traffic-related fatality on the Big Island this year, compared to none at the same time last year.
Charges filed in bank robberies
A 42-year-old man has been charged in a federal complaint with Wednesday's robbery of American Savings Bank's Kaheka branch and the robbery of Central Pacific Bank's Mo'ili'ili branch Dec. 20.
Greg Inoshita was arrested Wednesday by Honolulu police at Ala Moana Park and charged late Thursday.
Man arrested in assault on officer
A homeless man wanted on several warrants was arrested on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder after he allegedly tried to stab a police officer with a knife during a confrontation Thursday at Hau'ula Beach Park.
The officer fired a shot into the ground when David Mainaaupo, 31, lunged at him, investigators said.
Police said Mainaaupo became belligerent when four officers attempted to take him into custody at 3:15 p.m.
Convict arrested in police incident
Police have arrested a 24-year-old woman, who is awaiting sentencing on a forgery conviction at the O'ahu Community Correctional Center, on suspicion of driving a stolen car toward a police officer following a traffic stop in 'Aiea Nov. 22.
Police allege the woman was stopped by a patrol officer on Nov. 22 for fraudulent license plates near the intersection of Kamehameha Highway and Kanuku Street. The officer was approaching the car when the driver accelerated and drove off, police said.
