12-year-old boy faces trial in injury to tourist

By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer

A 12-year-old Waimanalo boy was "messing around" with his buddies when he set fire to the back of a Japanese tourist's surf shirt Sunday afternoon in Kailua, police said.

The 19-year-old woman suffered second-degree burns. She was stepping onto a city bus about 4:35 p.m. near Macy's on Kailua Road when the boy approached her from behind and quickly flashed a lighter against her shirt as an apparent prank, police said. They said the boy was not trying to set the shirt on fire.

The woman was wearing a nylon, tight-fitting shirt, the same type worn by surfers. The material was flammable, police said, and ignited immediately. Other bus passengers quickly slapped the fire out and the woman was not seriously burned.

The youth was charged Monday with first-degree criminal property damage.

Hawai'i law prohibits anyone under the age of 14 from being tried as an adult. The boy's case will be handled by the Family Court, police said.

City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle said the boy was charged with a Class B felony because of the use of fire. He said the charge is warranted in dangerous cases involving fire, arson, even a bomb. He said the maximum penalty for the boy would be incarceration until he turns 19, if he is convicted in Family Court. The boy faces an Oct. 7 trial date.

Jessica Lani Rich, president and executive director of Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai'i, said the tourist suffered burns on her fingers and parts of her hands. Rich met with the woman yesterday and said that she is in some pain.

The woman is scheduled to return to Japan on Sunday morning.

Reach Peter Boylan at 535-8110 or pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.