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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, December 20, 2007

HAWAII BRIEFS
Abduction foiled but man got away

Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser
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Police are looking for a man who allegedly jumped into a woman's car in Waipahu and tried to kidnap her on Dec. 12.

The woman told police she was in her car about 1:25 p.m. in the parking lot of the Don Quijote Store at 94-144 Farrington Highway when a stranger pushed her into the passenger seat and tried to drive away.

A passerby pulled the man from the car after the woman screamed for help, but the would-be kidnapper fled before police arrived.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300, or *CRIME on a cell phone. Free cellular calls are provided by AT&T, Nextel Hawaii, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless Hawaii.



3 RESCUED AS BOAT RUNS AGROUND

Firefighters rescued three people late Tuesday night from a sailboat that ran aground outside Ke'ehi Lagoon.

The Wind Rhyme was stuck in the surf break, said Fire Department spokesman Capt. Frank Johnson.

HFD responded about 10:15 p.m. Rescue 2, the department helicopter, the fire boat and a ladder company were sent to the scene.

The Coast Guard said the sailboat had 50 gallons of diesel fuel aboard, but that no hazardous materials spilled into the water.

Meanwhile, PENCO Pacific Environmental Corp., has been hired by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to free the 36-foot sloop TeraMoana, which ran aground Tuesday on a reef in Waikiki, about 200 yards off the Outrigger Reef Hotel.

Department spokeswoman Deborah Ward said the TeraMoana's owner did not have the money to do the job and turned ownership of the boat over to the state.

PENCO removed fuel from the sloop yesterday and planned to rig it for floating today if there are no weather or surf problems. The plan is to bring the boat back to Ala Wai Boat Harbor.



2ND SUSPECT HELD IN PARK ROBBERY

Police yesterday arrested a second suspect in the investigation of a knifepoint robbery of four teenage boys at the 'Aiea sugar mill skate park on Aug. 20.

The man, 18, was booked on four counts of first-degree robbery and three counts of kidnapping.

A 16-year-old boy arrested Dec. 4 has been charged in Family Court for the same offenses, police said.



ASSAULT CHARGE FOR EX-BOYFRIEND

Prosecutors have charged a 51-year-old man with beating and stabbing his former girlfriend in Kalihi.

Michael Neil Hart was charged Tuesday with second-degree assault and first-degree terroristic threatening. His bail is $20,000.

The woman told police Hart bit her nose and stabbed her on the right arm with a sharp object.



POLICE AWARD 5 MEDALS OF VALOR

Honolulu police yesterday awarded civilian medals of valor to five men who saved a man trapped in a submerged vehicle in the Ala Wai Canal.

John Crites, Blake Harrison, Eddie Weight, Reuben Silva and Ben Duffy received their medals for the June 9 rescue at a ceremony today at the Mission Memorial Auditorium.

Also honored was Keala Loo, who received a civilian certificate of merit for chasing down a theft suspect Aug. 1 in Waikiki.



LANDFILL CLEARED OF OLD MUNITIONS

The removal of old military munitions from the Moloka'i landfill has been successfully completed, U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye announced.

Inouye's office said a certified environmental restoration company, contracted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, found about 670 pieces of munitions debris. None contained explosives. Officials said the landfill is safe.

The munitions debris, packed in containers, was shipped from Moloka'i Tuesday on its way to a metal recycling plant in Long Beach, Calif., to be smelted.

The old munitions were first discovered in the Moloka'i landfill four months ago.

"I wish to thank Maui County, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the contractor, American Technologies Inc., which is certified by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, for a job well done," Inouye said in a news release.



POST OFFICES CLOSE EARLY MONDAY

Post offices will be open Monday — Christmas Eve — but many will close early, the Postal Service said yesterday.

Postal officials said the number of people visiting post offices drops off on Christmas Eve, so the closings will allow workers to spend time with family.

There will be normal delivery on that day, however, and Express Mail will also be delivered on Christmas Day.

Revised hours will be posted at each post office.

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