Police Beat
Advertiser Staff
Baseball bats used in robberies
Baseball bats were used as weapons in unrelated robberies yesterday in Waikiki and Kalihi.
Two men from Japan, ages 25 and 24, were robbed of their rental car and luggage at about 1:30 a.m. at the Honolulu Zoo parking lot. One of the two robbers, who fled in the rental car, used a baseball bat to break into the vehicle.
In the second robbery, four men stole beer, cigarettes and a pair of slippers at 2 a.m. from the 7-Eleven store at 1900 Dillingham Blvd. One of the men used a baseball bat to shatter the beer refrigerator case and to threaten two clerks. The four men are still at large.
Teen arrested in school fire
Police arrested a 14-year-old Salt Lake boy Thursday in connection with a fire in a portable classroom last November at Aliamanu Middle School. Two other youths, 13, were arrested earlier.
Two other fires were deliberately set at 5:09 a.m. Nov. 23 but both went out before causing damage. Graffiti also had to be cleaned off building walls.
The latest arrest was on suspicion of first- and second-degree criminal property damage.
The three youths were the only ones identified in a follow-up investigation by school administration and police.
Revenge possible motive in 'Aiea fire
Police and fire investigators are looking at spite and revenge as possible motives for last night's building fire on Hapuku Street in 'Aiea.
The fire forced the closure of four businesses for an indefinite period.
"We have a possible suspect but no direct evidence," police Detective Robert Carvalho said.
Police say the 10:15 p.m. fire at Kana's Ice Creamery was set intentionally.
Fire damage to the roof has forced Kana's to close, along with three other businesses in the one-story building — The Made in Hawai'i Store, a self-service laundry and a barbershop.
Fire investigator Capt. Glenn Solem said an "ignitable liquid" was used and the fire started inside Kana's.
Firefighters reportedly had the fire under control at 10:49 p.m.
Aside from an unstable roof, Solem said, the building had fire damage to its walls and had no electrical power. He suspects that the flammable liquid may have been in a container thrown into the ice-cream store.
On Wednesday, firefighters responded to an anonymous tip and extinguished a fire at Kana's at 1:51 a.m. The front doors of the business had been set on fire. Damage to the door was estimated at $1,000.
Water mains spring leaks in Pearlridge
As crews were completing repairs yesterday afternoon on a ruptured water main on Kamehameha Highway at Kaonohi Street, another pipe on Kaonohi sprung a leak.
The first break occurred at 11:35 p.m. Thursday in a 12-inch main on Kamehameha Highway in front of Anna Miller's restaurant in Pearlridge. The main was repaired by yesterday afternoon.
But a leak was detected in a 12-inch water line on Kaonohi, mauka of the first break. Honolulu Board of Water Supply spokeswoman Denise DeCosta said a crew was on the scene yesterday.
