Police are investigating an alleged sexual assault of a girl residing at the Pai'olu Kaiaulu emergency transitional shelter in Wai'anae around midday Monday.

"An allegation was made, and it has been turned over to the proper authorities for investigation," said Darryl Vincent, site director for U.S. Vets Hawai'i, which operates the state facility.

Vincent would not elaborate, but indicated that more information would be available Thursday.

Shelter resident Alice Greenwood said the alleged attack involved a 9-year-old girl. Greenwood said she knows the girl's mother.

She said the incident has caused tension among those staying at the facility, and that police were called in Tuesday night following an angry confrontation among a half-dozen residents that was related to the alleged sexual assault.

Order was restored and no arrests were made, police said.

Greenwood said matters were calmer at the facility tonight and that those involved in Tuesday's dispute apologized.

Police officers said the case was turned over to the HPD Criminal Investigations Division. Detectives would only say that no arrests have been made and that an investigation is continuing.

The state opened the shelter a little more than a year ago at the Wai'anae Civic Center. As of two weeks ago, the shelter housed 154 adults and 135 children.

The state created the $6.5 million facility as part of an effort to provide emergency shelter, particularly for the large numbers of homeless people camping on Wai'anae Coast beaches.