A motorist responding to a woman’s call for help twice confronted a robber in Wahiawa yesterday and forced him to return a stolen purse.

The robbery occurred in the parking lot of Wahiawa General Hospital and was reported to police at 6:12 a.m. The victim, 46, told police that a man pointed a knife at her and grabbed her purse. The man ran away but a woman motorist followed him. The man handed her the purse and fled.

The man is still at large. Nothing was missing from the purse when it was returned to the victim.

Info sought on masked bandit

Police are seeking information on a masked bandit responsible for a series of armed robberies this month in Kalihi. A gun and knife have been used in the robberies.

The robber was nearly caught by witnesses chasing after him on Waterhouse Street on March 4. During the chase, the robber dropped a cash register taken from Seoul Market at 2019 Waterhouse St. and fled in an old pickup truck driven by another man.

The same man robbed the Shell gas station convenience store at 2066 Dillingham Blvd. and a market at 517 North Vineyard Blvd. on March 3 and March 5, respectively. On March 8, the same man robbed a restaurant at 1727 Liliha St. The string of robberies continued on Tuesday after a 15-day layoff when the same bandit robbed the Shell gas station store for a second time.

Anyone with information can call Detective Michael Ogawa at 529-3381 or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cellular phone.

Same 2 arrested in 2nd drug bust

Two men, ages 51 and 35, arrested with four other men in a police drug raid at 710A Kunawai Lane in Kalihi on March 12 were arrested again yesterday in another bust at the same location.

Kalihi police called the residence a "drug house" where crystal methamphetamine is being sold.

In the March 12 raid, police recovered about a half-ounce of crystal meth and other drugs, as well as a gun.

A small amount of drugs was seized in yesterday’s 7:30 p.m. raid. Both men were booked on multiple counts of third-degree promotion of dangerous drugs.

Man extradited back to Hawai'i

A 43-year-old man was extradited to Hawai'i from King County Jail in Kent, Wash., yesterday on warrants charging him with two counts each of first-degree robbery and kidnapping that occurred in 1993.

Jeffrey Ivan Hennig was brought back to Honolulu yesterday and is being held at the main police station cellblock.

Kaka'ako fire closes streets

A vacant building fire in Kaka'ako last night forced the closure of Queen and South streets between Halekauwila and Kawaiha'o streets for nearly two hours.