Police yesterday arrested a man on suspicion of robbing City Bank’s downtown branch at 201 Merchant St. on Dec. 31.

The man was arrested at 700 Bishop St. at 10:35 a.m. and was booked on suspicion of second-degree robbery.

On Dec. 31 at 11:05 a.m., a man gave a note to a teller demanding money but fled empty-handed.

Disturbance call results in arrest

A 30-year-old man wanted on a parole-revocation warrant was arrested yesterday in Waikiki.

Allen Tagatac, no permanent address, was arrested in a 14th-floor apartment at 2280 Kuhio Ave. at 12:15 p.m. by officers responding to a disturbance complaint.

In addition to the outstanding warrant, Tagatac was wanted for questioning about an alleged robbery-assault in Kaimuki on Jan. 6 involving his former girlfriend and her boyfriend.

Pipeline casualty was a pro surfer

The Honolulu medical examiner has identified the professional Japanese surfer killed after a North Shore wipeout as 23-year-old Motomitsu Watanabe of Chigasaki City.

An autopsy determined that he had drowned.

Watanabe died Friday, 11 days after he went "over the falls" on a large wave at Banzai Pipeline. City lifeguards, who reported that the surf Jan. 19 was a solid 10 feet high, pulled him to the beach, but Watanabe never regained consciousness.

Fire damages Big Island condo

KAILUA, KONA — A fire last night caused an estimated $600,000 damage to a two-story wooden duplex condominium at 76-6204 Ali'i Drive. Firefighters who responded to the 9:33 p.m. alarm at the Hale Kai O Kona complex found flames rising from the wood-shingle roof.

The fire was reported extinguished at 10:55 p.m. Damage was limited to the second floor of the building.

Blaze destroys Maui warehouse

WAILUKU, Maui — The warehouse of a longtime furniture and appliance store in Wailuku was gutted by fire early today.

The Maui Department of Fire Control said the fire alarm at Standard Furniture & Appliance Inc. sounded at 12:39 a.m., and units from Kahului, Wailuku, Kihei, Makawao and Wailea responded to a blaze that was brought under control at 2:53 a.m.

The warehouse is across the street from the company’s Lower Main Street retail store. The cause of the fire was unknown, officials said.

Irene Kodama, a member of the family that owns the store, said the damages would be substantial. The large warehouse contained quite a few pieces of furniture and many appliances.