Police Beat

Advertiser Staff

Three Wai'anae men arrested in beating

Police Tuesday arrested three Wai'anae men on suspicion that they beat a 21-year-old California tourist Saturday morning at Atkinson Drive and Kona Street near Ala Moana Center.

The three men — ages 29, 23 and 19 — who had fled the scene in a Chrysler PT Cruiser were rounded up by officers from HPD's Career Criminal Unit and Wai'anae's Crime Reduction Unit.

The 29-year-old man was taken into custody at 9:45 a.m. at Campbell Industrial Park. The two other men surrendered to police at 9 p.m. at the main police station.

The visitor was taken unconscious to The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition after being repeatedly punched and kicked. There has been no updated condition report on the man.

Second-degree assault charges also are pending against three teenagers who allegedly beat a 27-year-old man Sunday on Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki. The man suffered critical injuries, police said. Two men, ages 19 and 18, and a 16-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of beating the man after knocking him to the ground.

Police also are investigating an assault case involving a 21-year-old Navy man, who was struck on the head with a rock Tuesday on Kuhio Avenue near the International Market Place at 2:45 a.m. Police said the critically injured man was among a large group that may have been arguing. The man fell and struck his head on the curb after being hit by the rock.

Pair behind bars booked in assault

Two men behind bars were arrested Tuesday night on suspicion that they were involved in the March 30 beating of a man at Waimanalo Beach Park. The men, ages 28 and 18, are being held at the Federal Detention Center and O'ahu Community Correctional Center, respectively. Both were booked for second-degree assault and sent back to jail pending further investigation. The men are in jail for offenses unrelated to the assault case, police said.

The assault case stems from an incident in which a 51-year-old man was allegedly beaten after trying to stop a man, 52, from killing his dog.

Hearings set for robbery suspects

Preliminary hearings are scheduled today in District Court for a 24-year-old man charged with robbing tourists last week at Birthing Stones in Wahiawa and Sacred Falls in Hau'ula, and for another man, 27, who was allegedly driving a stolen car taken in one of the robberies.

Clayton Frederick Young of Wahiawa is charged with first-degree robbery in connection with Friday's alleged knifepoint robbery of a man and woman from Texas at Sacred Falls. He is also charged with second-degree robbery stemming from last Wednesday's robbery at Birthing Stones in which a rental car was taken.

Young was captured Friday in Punalu'u with help of the Texas couple, who saw Young get into the Nissan Altima which was stolen in the May 21 robbery. Harry Bert Loughmiller, 27, of Wahiawa allegedly was driving the stolen car, according to a police affidavit filed in District Court..

Search on for man to testify in murder

Police and the city prosecutor's office are asking for help in finding a man who is believed to be a witness to a December 2002 murder.

Don Iiga

But Iiga has not been seen recently and authorities need help finding him. Iiga was homeless at the time of the shooting and is known to frequent Ala Wai Community Park, Waikiki and the Diamond Head area.

He is described as 5 feet 7 and 230 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information on Iiga is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300, *CRIME on a cellular phone or police homicide Detective Ted Coons at 529-3053.