Posted on: Monday, March 7, 2005

Tip leads to arrest of man in hit-run

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

Police yesterday arrested a 33-year-old Makiki man in connection with Saturday's hit-and-run accident in McCully that injured two teenage girls.

The man was arrested at 6:30 p.m. at 824 Kina'u St. and booked for failure to render aid. He was released without charges, pending investigation. The arrest occurred about eight hours after police found a damaged Nissan Sentra at Magazine and Prospect streets in the Punchbowl area.

A tip led police to the car — which had a large dent in its front left fender and a damaged windshield — and to the suspect, who is the car's registered owner.

The two injured girls, ages 14 and 15, remained at The Queen's Medical Center yesterday. The girls attend Kaimuki High School. A woman who identified herself only as the mother of one of the victims, Amber Wataru, yesterday said the two girls were "doing OK" but declined further comment.

Witnesses told police that a man was driving the beige or gold compact car, possibly a Nissan, that struck the girls at 4:10 p.m. at the intersection of McCully and Algaroba streets, a block from one of the victims' homes.

Witnesses on Saturday said the girls entered a crosswalk in heavy traffic against a red light. The car was traveling makai on McCully Street.

Reach Rod Ohira at 535-8181 or rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.