Police Beat
Advertiser Staff
Diver found dead in underwater cave
A 26-year-old man died after he was found in an underwater cave yesterday morning near Ko Olina.
Police said two men were diving when one was found lifeless in the cave at about 10 a.m. Emergency personnel took him to St. Francis Medical Center-West, where was pronounced dead at 11:17 a.m
The man's name was not released yesterday. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death, although police said foul play is not suspected.
Downed pole slows Wahiawa traffic
Hawaiian Electric crews worked late into the night to replace a utility pole knocked down by a car along Kamehameha Highway near Whitmore Avenue.
Both lanes of Kamehameha Highway were closed as a result of the 2:43 p.m. accident yesterday. HECO crews were hoping to complete enough work by midnight to open at least one lane of traffic, said HECO spokesman Bruce Benson.
No one was injured in the accident, and there were no reports of power failure.
Drowning victim from Illinois
A 17-year-old boy who was pronounced dead after being pulled from Waimea Bay was identified yesterday by the city medical examiner's office as Scott L. Sims of Homewood, Ill.
An autopsy was to be performed Monday. There were no signs of foul play, police said.
Sims apparently got into trouble while trying to surf Thursday, police said.
Sims, one of 32 Homewood-Flossmoor High School students who came to Hawai'i during spring break, was brought to shore by friends after he was found floating face down in the water. Ambulance personnel were unable to revive Sims, and he was pronounced dead at Wahiawa General Hospital.
"He was a good student, very well-liked and very popular, and we are deeply saddened by this," Homewood-Flossmoor spokesman David Thieman said.
Sims was an honor student who lettered in three sports — water polo, swimming and soccer.
Information sought on masked robber
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 suspects 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 Thursday in another bust at the same location.
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 Thursday's 7:30 p.m. raid. Both men were booked on multiple counts of third-degree promotion of dangerous drugs.
