Posted on: Friday, May 2, 2003

Police Beat

Men charged with sexual assaults

A Porterville, Calif., man was charged on Wednesday by police with 20 counts of sexual assault involving a 12-year-old 'Aiea girl.

Ryan Torrejas Eala, 19, is accused of 10 counts each of first- and third-degree sexual assault with bail set at $150,000. The alleged assaults occurred between April 17 and April 27 at the home of the girl's mother.

In an unrelated case, police arrested Robert Sapanara earlier this week on a $215,000 warrant charging him with multiple sex assaults on young children dating back to 1999. Sapanara agreed to return to Hawai'i from Pennsylvania when he was indicted in February. He was arraigned yesterday in Circuit Court.

Kidnap claim investigated

Police were investigating a reported kidnapping Wednesday of a Miss Hawaiian Tropic Pageant contestant.

A 21-year-old woman from Costa Rica told police she accepted an offer for a ride from the Turtle Bay Resort to a convenience store from two men at about 5:30 p.m. While on Kamehameha Highway, one of the men tried to force her to take pills, police said. The woman was able to escape.

Two men, ages 34 and 22, were arrested on Kamehameha Highway on suspicion of kidnapping and third-degree promotion of a dangerous drugs.

Armed-robbery suspect charged

A 33-year-old Kalama Valley man has been charged in an armed robbery Tuesday in Waikiki.

Mark Albert Kekoa is accused of threatening an adult entertainment store clerk with scissors and demanding he open the cash register. Kekoa fled when the clerk called police. He was arrested about an hour after the 9:15 a.m. robbery was reported. Kekoa's bail is $25,000.