Posted on: Friday, June 24, 2005
Video may show man who stole truck with baby
| • | Alert's first test partly cloudy |
By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer
Honolulu police are examining fingerprints and surveillance video in hopes of identifying the man who stole a pickup truck from a Nu'uanu 7-Eleven on Wednesday with a 4-month-old baby in the back seat.
The truck and child turned up in a church parking lot in Moanalua shortly after a Maile Amber alert was issued, and a delivery driver found and rescued the child from the abandoned vehicle, after being tipped off to the incident by his dispatcher.
Police have no witnesses but lifted several sets of fingerprints from the stolen truck.
Honolulu Police Department acting Lt. Ursula Ortiz-Namoca said investigators are working to separate the prints found in the car.
A video from inside the 7-Eleven at the corner Kuakini Street and Nu'uanu Avenue shows the suspect walking in, making a purchase and leaving, Namoca said. Because the man essentially left money on the counter and walked out, the clerk didn't get a good look at him, she said.
"Without an eye witness it becomes very difficult (to find a suspect)," she said. "We'd really like the public's help at this time."
The suspect is described as 5 feet 10 inches and about 200 pounds.
He is Caucasian looking, possibly Hawaiian/Portugese, with a goatee and spiked dark hair.
He was last seen wearing jean shorts and a black, long-sleeve T-shirt.
Namoca said detectives continue to search the area near Kaiser's Moanalua site for the man. She said officers are working on pulling a picture of the man from the surveillance video, and soon fliers will be sent to every patrol district.
At Honolulu Express headquarters yesterday, dispatcher Lori Joaquin said the company was being inundated with calls from well-wishers and people just wanting the scoop about what happened.
"My boss is stoked," she said.
On Wednesday, Vaima Philpotts was heading home from work when she stopped at the 7-Eleven to grab some lunch, according to her husband, William. She parked in front of the store's entrance at about 2:25 p.m., left the truck running and ran in to get some food.
Within a couple of minutes, a man got into the Tacoma pickup and drove off. Vaima Philpotts exited the store and realized her vehicle — and her baby Tauhani — were gone.
Namoca said it is imperative that parents do not leave their children unattended in cars with the engine running.
"It's very important that we protect our children," she said. "It's very, very dangerous to leave them in the car like that and when you leave the car running."
Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8110.
