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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, August 4, 2007

HAWAII BRIEFS
Missing Swiss boy found in Waikiki

Advertiser Staff

A police officer in Waikiki late Thursday night found an 11-year-old Swiss boy who wandered away from his family's rented vacation home in Lanikai Thursday morning.

Police said Julian Barmettler was found unharmed near the Ala Wai Canal about midnight after news organizations publicized the missing-person case and showed his photograph. The boy suffers from Prader-Willi Syndrome and has no concept of danger or fear of anything.

The boy had last been seen by his mother asleep in their vacation home at 5 a.m. Thursday. Police said the boy took an "unauthorized tour of the island on" TheBus.

Several people called police saying they had spotted the boy, helping police find him.



MAN, 79, PULLED FROM WATER, DIES

A 79-year-old man was pulled from waters near Fort DeRussy Beach yesterday morning in critical condition and pronounced dead at Straub Clinic & Hospital.

Emergency responders received a call for help at 11:03 a.m., said Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city emergency services department.



HILO MAN CHARGED IN KIDNAP ATTEMPT

A 35-year-old Hilo man was charged with attempted kidnapping stemming from an incident with a 4-year-old child visiting with his family from Michigan.

Big Island police said the incident took place in a men's restroom in the downtown Hilo area Tuesday about 4:15 p.m. and was witnessed by the child's adult brother, who was in the restroom and stepped in to intervene.

South Hilo patrol officers found the suspect in the area. Detectives on Wednesday charged Kaslor Nota with attempted kidnapping. He is being held at the Hilo police cellblock in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Police ask anyone who may have witnessed this incident to call Detective Tom Poy at 808-961-2383 or the police department's nonemergency number at 808-935-3311.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call CrimeStoppers at 808-961-8300 in Hilo or 808-329-8181 in Kona. All CrimeStoppers calls are kept confidential.



POLICE SEEK MAN IN KALIHI HOLDUP

Police were looking for a 23-year-old man who allegedly was involved in the gunpoint robbery of nine men in a Kalihi carport Thursday night.

At about 10:30 p.m., nine friends were in a Kalihi carport playing cards and rolling dice when two men, ages 23 and 25, walked up to them, police said.

One of the men pulled out a gun and ordered the group to empty their wallets, police said.

While the gunman allegedly kept his pistol trained on the men, his partner went to each of them, collecting cash and a cell phone.

Four of the men had nothing on them, police said, and the man with the gun threatened to shoot them if they didn't produce something. While still pointing the gun, the robber and his accomplice got into a car and drove off, police said.

The gunman fired several shots into the air as they fled, police said.

Patrol officers responding to the scene were able to identify one of the assailants, although it is not clear if he was the gunman, police said.

A 25-year-old man was later apprehended, and arrested on suspicion of five counts of first-degree robbery and four counts of terroristic threatening. The other suspect remained at large.



TRAFFIC-STOP THREAT LANDS MAN IN JAIL

A 20-year-old man was arrested Thursday night after allegedly threatening police motorcycle officers during a traffic stop.

At 9:20 p.m., four motorcycle officers pulled the man over on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. While the officers administered a field sobriety test, the man allegedly threatened to kill one of the officers and the officer's family, police said.

The man also allegedly threatened to kill other officers at the scene, police said.

The man was arrested on suspicion of first-degree terroristic threatening.



O'AHU HEART WALK TODAY IN WAIKIKI

More than 2,500 walkers will descend on Waikiki today for the 14th annual O'ahu Heart Walk, a fundraiser for the American Heart Association.

The walk starts at 7 a.m. at the Kapi'olani Park Bandstand.

Participants will walk up Monsarrat Avenue, around Diamond Head and back to the park.

Motorists should use caution while driving through this area. The event is expected to end by 1 p.m.

More than 1 million walkers will participate in more than 500 Heart Walk events across the country. For more information, call 538-7021 or visit www.americanheart.org.



WORK TO CONSTRICT NIMITZ HIGHWAY

Crews will look for inactive petroleum pipelines under Nimitz Highway starting tomorrow night and drain any excess oil.

The work, which will mean lane closures along Nimitz Highway Sunday through Friday, from 8:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m., is in partnership with the state Department of Health.

Drivers should prepare for multiple lane closures in both directions between Kukahi and Alakawa streets, and allow for extra travel time.



RESURFACING AHEAD ON ALA MOANA

Crews will close one to two lanes in each direction along Ala Moana from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Friday.

The closures will run along Ala Moana from South Street to Ward Avenue.

Crews will be cutting pavement and installing street lights as part of the Ala Moana resurfacing project. Drivers are advised to take alternative routes or allow for extra travel time.



TOWNBOUND LANES CLOSING ON PALI

Honolulu-bound lanes of Pali Highway from Castle Junction to Waokanaka Street will be closed from 7 tonight to 7 a.m. tomorrow for tunnel cleaning and maintenance work.

Honolulu-bound motorists will need to take an alternative route, either Likelike Highway or H-3 Freeway, and allow for extra travel time.

Only emergency vehicles and city buses will be allowed through the closure.