Police Beat

Advertiser Staff

People gather outside a home on 'Onipa'a Street in Moanalua, site of a fire yesterday. A brother and sister escaped the fire uninjured. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

A teenage boy and his younger sister escaped uninjured from a fire yesterday that damaged their Moanalua home at 1739 'Onipa'a St. The fire was contained to the master bedroom of the house, said Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Emmit Kane.

The fire was reported at 8:03 a.m. and was under control at 8:18 a.m.

Co-pilot allegedly drunk before flight

An Aloha Airlines co-pilot was arrested during the weekend for allegedly being intoxicated when he attempted to board an airliner to fly it from California to Hawai'i, the carrier said yesterday.

The pilot was arrested in the jetway, before reaching the plane, by Oakland police, and was cited with "intent to operate an aircraft while under the influence," Aloha said.

He was detained by police Saturday morning after an airport screener smelled alcohol as the pilot passed through a security checkpoint.

The pilot had a blood-alcohol level of .182, more than double Hawai'i's legal limit of .08 to operate a vehicle, Federal Aviation Administration officials told KHON.

Pilots are banned from drinking eight hours before a flight.

The pilot — a first officer — has been removed from duty pending the outcome of an investigation, Aloha said.

Pair arrested after Nu'uanu home fire

Police arrested a 36-year-old man and 34-year-old woman Sunday on suspicion of operating a narcotics lab in a Nu'uanu home.

Acetone was among the chemicals discovered by firefighters who responded to an alarm at 31 Coelho Way at 4:46 p.m. The fire was limited to a small bedroom and damage was minor, said fire Capt. Emmit Kane.

The suspects were treated at Kuakini Medical Center for minor burns and released.

They were arrested at the hospital at 5 p.m. and booked on drug charges.

Girl, 3, found dead in swimming pool

A 3-year-old girl died of an apparent drowning yesterday in a swimming pool in Kona.

Police said the girl was spotted by neighbors floating face-down in the pool in the Kona Palisades subdivision shortly before 4:50 p.m. The neighbors rushed downstairs, notified the girl's father and pulled her from the pool, police said.

The neighbors also performed CPR on the girl until fire rescue personnel arrived at 5:04 p.m.

She was taken to Kona Community Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 5:45 p.m.