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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 11:47 a.m., Thursday, November 20, 2003

Police Beat

Advertiser Staff

Man arrested in taxi robbery

A 25 year-old man was arrested yesterday in connection with the robbery of a taxi driver in June.

According to police, a 70-year-old taxi driver reported being robbed of money and a cell phone at knifepoint by two men on June 15.

On June 16, police arrested a man who had the taxi driver’s cell phone.

During an interview with officers, the taxi driver named the man police located and arrested yesterday.

Charges lodged in bank holdups

A 36-year-old man has been charged with two counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery involving three incidents from Oct. 3 to Nov. 17.

Fernando Ruiz Matutina was arrested Tuesday in Kalihi Valley on suspicion of robbing the Kalihi branch of First Hawaiian Bank on Oct. 3 and the Mapunapuna branch of Bank of Hawaii on Oct. 7, and attempting to rob the Kalihi branch of Hawaii National Bank on Monday.

Makakilo man found injured

A 69 year-old Makakilo man who was reported missing yesterday was found today in Makakilo.

Michael Basta was last seen yesterday at about 11:30 a.m. at his Hunekai Street home. Basta has Alzheimer’s and may have become confused, police said.

Fire Capt. Kenison Tejada said firefighters responded to a police call and found Basta at the base of a tree above Makakilo near Makakilo Drive. Tejada said the man was injured, and firefighters carried him out.

Basta was taken by ambulance to an undisclosed hospital. It was unclear this morning exactly how he was injured.

Firefighters contain blaze

Firefighters battled a blaze on the Leeward Coast early today that consumed almost 300 acres of brush.

Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Kenison Tejada said 13 companies responded to the fire near the Makua Cave at about 12:20 a.m. It took firefighters nearly five hours to contain the blaze.

Tejada said the fire department would monitor the area throughout the day. No homes were threatened by the fire.

Baby in car died of hyperthermia

A 10-month-old baby left in a hot, locked automobile Oct. 13 while her mother conducted a class at the YMCA in Kailua died of hyperthermia, higher than normal body temperature, the Medical Examiner’s Office has determined.

Anuhea Paet was apparently left in the car for about six hours while her mother, Susanna Hunt, 31, went to work in Kane'ohe and later taught a physical therapy class at Windward YMCA.

Hunt discovered the baby after the class at about 1 p.m.

Police have said the autopsy results were needed before they can decide whether to file criminal charges against Hunt.