Mark C. Werner, 36, was being held at the Maui Community Correctional Center, following a preliminary hearing Thursday in Wailuku District Court.

He was arrested the evening of June 28 after Kihei patrol officers responded to the shoreline area off Makena Road in the Ahihi Kinau Natural Area Reserve.

Nicholas Yarofalchuw, who works as a Maui Lu security officer, said he was on lava rock trying to retrieve his fishing net when he heard a gunshot, turned and saw a splash in the water about 20 feet away.

"I was in the line of fire," he said.

He said he saw a man sitting in a tent trying to hide a rifle.

When his cellular telephone wouldn't work, Yarofalchuw flagged down tourists leaving La Perouse Bay and asked them to call 911.

Responding Kihei patrol officer Gregg Karonis approached Werner, who at first gave his name as Michael Jones. Questioned further, he told the officer his real name and gave police permission to search his green Toyota sedan that was parked nearby, Karonis said.

In the trunk were a loaded semiautomatic .22-caliber rifle, an unloaded semiautomatic SKS Chinese rifle and two pellet guns, Karonis said.

He said he could smell liquor on Werner's breath.

Werner was in the area with two women and a boy, Karonis said.

One of the women, Beverly Harrison, and her 16-year-old son had been tenants in the Wailuku residence of Ronald A. Smith, who reported that two semiautomatic rifles and three air rifles were stolen from a closet of the residence June 27.

Smith testified that he found the rifles missing after he returned home and saw a note from the tenant saying she would be back for the rest of her belongings.

When Werner was questioned the day after his arrest, he said he had gone to the residence with the two women and boy to help Harrison move, said police detective George Kronoski.

Werner said that he and the other woman went into the house and removed several firearms, Kronoski said.

Werner also said "he had no intention of selling the guns or trading the guns," Kronoski said. "He just wanted to play with them."

On the day he was arrested, Werner said, he and the boy had shot pellets at cans earlier, Kronoski said.

"Toward the evening, he does recall shooting a rifle," the detective said.

He said Werner reported he "did not intend to shoot at anybody or in the direction of anybody" and "was just taking a shot at the ocean."

Werner "was visibly shaking" while being questioned and said he was "detoxing" after drinking a fifth of vodka a day for two weeks, Kronoski said.

He said Werner also said a vial containing steroids found in the car was his.

Smith identified the rifles found in the trunk as his, Kronoski said.

Judge Simone C. Polak ruled there was enough evidence to support charges of first-degree reckless endangering, keeping a loaded firearm in an improper place, keeping an unloaded firearm in an improper place, fourth-degree promotion of a harmful drug, two counts of first-degree theft, first-degree burglary and second-degree theft.

Werner is scheduled to be arraigned July 17 in 2nd Circuit Court.