Police Beat
Advertiser Staff
Father charged in infantâs death
A 33-year-old Salt Lake man has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of his 7 1/2-week-old son last week. Derrick Shawn Smith, scheduled to be arraigned today at District Court, is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Smith is accused of killing his son, Kelbey Bridenstein.
Medical Examiner Dr. Kanthi Von Guenthner determined from an autopsy that the child died of abusive head trauma, that the injuries were not accidental and the manner of death is homicide, according to a police report filed today at District Court. As a result of the autopsy findings, police on Saturday charged Smith with murder.
In his police report, homicide Detective Larry Tama-shiro said Smith told him the infant slipped out of his arm and landed face first on the tile floor about 1:30 a.m. Thursday.
The infant was taken to Kaiser Medical Center-Moanalua and pronounced dead at 3:20 a.m. Thursday.
The child's mother, Ericka Bridenstein, told police she last saw the child sleeping at 10:15 p.m. before leaving the apartment to pick up a friend at the airport. The infant had no injuries at that time, Ericka Bridenstein said.
Bank robbery suspect held
A 36-year-old man was charged Saturday with robbing three banks this month.
Darren T. Kaminaka was arrested Saturday at 5:15 p.m. at 835 Ke'eaumoku St., about 30 minutes after Central Pacific Bank's Kaheka branch in Daiei was robbed.
Investigators from the Honolulu Violent Incident Task Force obtained federal warrants charging Kaminaka with Thursday's American Savings Bank's Ala Moana branch robbery on Thursday, Friday's First Hawaiian Bank robbery in Kapahulu and Saturday's CPB holdup.
He is being held on a no-bail warrant.
Body found off Magic Island
A 50-year-old Kapi'olani-area resident was found floating early today in waters off Magic Island.
The woman, who was pronounced dead at Straub Clinic & Hospital, had been reported missing at 4 a.m. by her husband, said Mary Aragones of the missing persons detail.
The body was discovered at 6:30 a.m. and there is no evidence of foul play, said Detective Cliff Rubio.
Three men injured in Kalihi brawl
Three men were critically injured in a fight Saturday night in Kalihi. One man, 23, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder for allegedly stabbing two other men, who were taken to The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition.
Another man, 40, an acquaintance of the arrested man, has critical head injuries and is hospitalized at Queen's. According to preliminary reports, the 40-year-old man allegedly brought a golf club to the melee and was assaulted by an unknown suspect.
The brawl was reported at 10:10 p.m. The 23-year-old man who was arrested is accused of stabbing a 19-year-old man in the neck and another man, 18, in the rib cage area in a dispute over his vehicleâs broken window.
