Woman provided lift to crime-fighting effort
By Allison Schaefers
Advertiser Staff Writer
Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser
Jennifer Taylor was on her way home from the mall Tuesday afternoon when she saw a detective standing on Kapi'olani Boulevard waving his arms and stopped to pick him up.
Jennifer Taylor, top, helped detective Robert Cravalho, above, find a suspect in a bank robbery when she offered Cravalho a ride. Once Taylor dropped off the detective, she stayed on the phone with 911 dispatchers and kept them informed on Cravalho's efforts to find the robbery suspect.
Taylor, a 32-year-old lawyer, gave the detective a ride to help capture a bank robbery suspect.
Others also assisted in the arrest of Dennis G. Pace, 34, of McCully. He was arrested and later charged in federal court with robbing the Kapi'olani-Kaheka branch of American Savings Bank.
"I've lived in New York City my whole life and it took moving here to get excitement," said Taylor. "You figure, this is the kind of stuff that only happens in movies."
Detective Robert Cravalho's car was parked a block away from the crime scene when Pace hailed a cab and fled the scene. Taylor and her sport utility vehicle came along at just the right time, so Cravalho waved her down.
"The public always says that it takes police forever to get to a crime scene. In this case, the shoe was on the other foot; I was waiting for the public," Cravalho said.
At first Taylor said she wasn't sure Cravalho was the real deal.
" I didn't know what to think," she said. "I mean, this guy could have been the bank robber. But I saw his badge and he was calling in information."
Once Taylor picked up Cravalho, the two rode from the bank to Ala Wai Boulevard and Pau Street in Waikiki, where the taxi driver dropped off Pace.
Cravalho then got out of Taylor's car, gave her his business card and began chasing Pace on foot. He said he received help from two men who gave him directions about where the suspect went, but he took a wrong turn. When he finally got to the suspect, another officer was already there.
Once Taylor dropped off the detective, she continued with the chase. Taylor stayed on the phone with 911 dispatchers and kept them abreast of Cravalho's efforts to find Pace.
No one knew who Taylor was until she called police yesterday to let them know her name.
"We wouldn't have been able to apprehend the subject if it hadn't been for Jennifer and the other individuals that joined in the case," Cravalho said. "I'm going to make a recommendation that they be given a citizen's commendation."
Michelle Yu, Honolulu police media liaison, said an awards committee will determine how Taylor and the others who assisted are recognized.
