Attacks on pedestrians spark vigilance
By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer
Fotu Telona stood near the corner of Kalakaua Avenue and Young Street yesterday, keeping his auntie Bams Kawa'a company while she waited for the bus.
"My sister-in-law walks home because she wants the exercise," Telona said. "I told my wife that I should follow her home just to be safe. If the guy does strike, I'm going to strike him, too."
Police yesterday released a sketch and description of a suspect in six assaults of pedestrians in Makiki and the Punchbowl area since April 9. The man is believed to be 30 to 40 years old, with a dark complexion, short, curly black hair and an unshaven face. He is of medium build and weighs 180 to 200 pounds. He was last seen wearing a short-sleeve T-shirt and riding a dark-colored bicycle. Police ask anyone with information about this case to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cell phone.
Telona and others in the lower Makiki and Punchbowl areas were on guard yesterday following a police report that, since April 9, six pedestrians have been hit in the head and robbed by a bicycle-riding man.
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Police said the robber passed each victim on his bike, doubled back and hit them from behind with a brick or rock. Some of the victims were knocked unconscious. The attacks happened in the late-night or early-morning hours.
Police received eight tips yesterday after releasing a sketch of the suspect Tuesday, but made no arrests.
The Hawai'i Guardian Angels will patrol the neighborhood tonight and hand out copies of the police sketch of the suspect.
"We're planning on doing a lot more patrols until this guy is caught," Guardian Angel member Eric Costanios said. "We do want to try and be the second eyes and ears for the police, and get this guy off the streets."
Telona, whose wife and sister-in-law work two blocks from Pawa'a Neighborhood Park, echoed the sentiments of several lower Makiki residents who said the recent spate of attacks has left them a little leery of walking around at night.
"It's sick. People are so desperate nowadays. You never expect that here in Hawai'i, the place called paradise," said Telona, a truck driver who said he's been shot three times in his native Los Angeles.
"People no care, they do anything now days," said Kawa'a, a Pearl City resident who travels to town frequently and catches the bus at night near the park. "This time (daytime) I'm not scared. It's in the evening time."
Fred Kober, a Hawai'i resident of 16 years who lives three blocks from the park and walks past it on his way to buy groceries at Safeway, said if he sees a guy on a bike matching the man's description he won't be turning his back.
"He's attacking people and he knows he's going to get away with it," Kober said. "I don't feel (worried) about it. I was born in Philly and I spent 26 years in New York. We handle things a little differently."
At One Kalakaua yesterday, an assisted-living home for seniors situated across the street from the park, many were discussing media reports about the attack.
Linda Vares-Routt, activities coordinator at One Kalakaua, said the staff cautions residents about walking in the area at night or in the early morning hours.
Honolulu police Sgt. Kim Capllonch said when the attacks started, each case was assigned to a different detective. Only recently did detectives discover the cases were connected and the bulletin was issued immediately, she said.
"It wasn't that we were sitting on it," Capllonch said. "It's just that different detectives handled this at different times."
Reach Peter Boylan at 535-8110 or pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com
