HAWAI'I BRIEFS
Pedestrian dies after car hits him
Advertiser Staff
A 75-year-old man who was struck by a car while crossing the street in an 'Ewa neighborhood yesterday morning died at The Queen's Medical Center, officials said.
The pedestrian was hit shortly after 7:30 a.m. near Renton Road and Auwaha Street, police said.
Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the Honolulu Emergency Services Department, said EMS personnel took the man to Queen's and the driver, a woman whose age was estimated at early to mid-40s, to St. Francis-West hospital.
The woman was in stable condition, Cheplic said.
MAUI
COUPLE'S DISPUTE LEADS TO FATAL CRASH
KAHULUI — An apparent disagreement between a Ha'iku man and a woman he was dating ended in a fatal two-car crash on Kuihelani Highway Thursday.
Police said Albert Torres-Santos Bras, 26, was killed at about 12:50 a.m when his 1992 Acura two-door sedan burst into flames after being broadsided by a southbound 2003 Acura four-door sedan operated by the 18-year-old Makawao woman.
The incident occurred about a mile and half south of Waiko Road. The woman was last reported in stable condition at Maui Memorial Medical Center.
Bras is believed to have stopped his car in a position to block the highway to prevent the woman from going to Lahaina, said Sgt. Barry Aoki of the Maui Police Department's Traffic Section.
Bras owned both sedans, Aoki said, adding that police are still investigating the circumstances leading up to the wreck. It was Maui's first traffic death of the year.
BURGLARY SUSPECT CHARGED IN 1 CASE
WAILUKU — A man suspected of burglarizing four Lahaina homes and setting fire to three of them to hide the crimes made an initial appearance yesterday in Wailuku District Court.
Esenitani L. Tangatailoa, 37, was charged this week in one of the cases, which is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Wednesday.
He is charged with arson, burglary and theft of a credit card in connection with a Dec. 27 fire at an Alio Street home that caused $155,000 in damage.
Tangatailoa also is being investigated for Nov. 10 and Nov. 28 arson-burglaries at homes on Aki Street and Kahili Place, respectively, and for a Dec. 2 break-in at another Kahili Place residence, according to Lt. Jon Jakubczak of the Maui Police Department.
In all four cases, no one was home when the crimes occurred, he said. Tangatailoa remained in custody at the Maui Community Correctional Center.
MANOA
RUMMAGE SALE TO BENEFIT YMCA
The Atherton YMCA is holding a rummage sale from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. today to raise money for its Alternative Spring Break trip to do community service in Thailand. The Atherton YMCA is at 1810 University Ave. For more information, call 946-0253.
WAHIAWA
MAN GETS 10 YEARS FOR BREAK-INS
A 34-year-old Wahiawa man was sentenced to a maximum 10-year prison term yesterday for burglarizing four homes and trying to burglarize two others in communities around O'ahu.
Marlon Galapon was sentenced by Circuit Judge Richard Pollack after five victims told him about the hardships and anguish caused by the break-ins.
The crimes normally have a 10-year maximum sentence, but city prosecutors asked for extended or consecutive terms that would have meant a 20-year sentence. The judge indicated that the 10 years was sufficient to deter Galapon from committing future crimes.
Galapon committed the burglaries and attempted burglaries in Mililani, Wahiawa, 'Aiea and Kahalu'u from 2004 to last year.
Galapon did not have previous felony convictions, but tried to burglarize a Mililani home in February last year when he was free on bail pending sentencing in four of his burglary cases.
The Hawai'i Paroling Authority will later set the minimum term Galapon must serve before he is eligible for release on parole.
City Deputy Prosecutor Paul Mow said he will ask the paroling authority to order Galapon to serve the full 10-year sentence.
