HAWAI'I BRIEFS
Drowning victims identified
Advertiser Staff
The Honolulu medical examiner's office has identified two O'ahu men who drowned in separate accidents at Lake Wilson and Makapu'u.
A 45-year-old man who drowned Wednesday at Makapu'u was identified as David Albers of Honolulu. Police said he was swimming at about 2 p.m. but had difficulty returning to shore. His brother jumped in and brought Albers back to the beach, but he had stopped breathing.
Albers was pronounced dead at Castle Medical Center. An autopsy determined he died from asphyxia due to drowning.
The same cause of death was listed for Jeffrey Ninmann, 48, of Waipahu, whose body was retrieved Feb. 8 by fire rescue divers from Lake Wilson in Wahiawa.
Ninmann, who was fishing, apparently fell out of his boat at about 10:40 a.m. His body was recovered at about 12:20 p.m. in 40 to 45 feet of water and about 35 yards from shore.
BOY, 14, REPORTED MISSING BY STATE
The state Department of Human Services is asking for the public's help in finding a boy in its care.
Rusty Jaye Sylva Jr., 14, was last seen Feb. 10 walking down Renton Road near the alternative school he was attending in 'Ewa Beach.
Rusty is 5 feet 3, 110 pounds, with short, dark brown hair and brown eyes. He is of Hawaiian, Japanese and Portuguese descent.
Anyone with information is asked to call the police.
POLICE BOARD LAYS OUT REMOVAL PLAN
LIHU'E, Kaua'i The Kaua'i Police Commission yesterday settled how it might remove Police Chief K.C. Lum if it were to decide to do so.
Mayor Bryan Baptiste and the police officers union have called for Lum's removal.
The commission spent more than two hours in executive session with a deputy county attorney, Galen Nakamura, and independent counsel David Proudfoot before coming up with a five-part process, the first of which is to confer with attorneys to decide which police commissioners could participate. That appears to be aimed at commissioner Leon Gonsalves, who is being sued for discrimination by the chief.
Then the panel would decide whether there are charges to be considered, hold a public meeting with the chief on any such charges and ultimately vote on whether to remove him. Commissioner Michael Ching said the process could end any time the five-member commission lacked three votes to proceed.
VISITOR KILLED CROSSING ROAD
WAIPOULI, Kaua'i A visitor was killed Thursday while walking across Kuhio Highway by The Marketplace in Waipouli.
Fredrika Weisenthal, 66, of Missouri, was struck by a northbound pickup truck at 7 p.m. near Papaloa Road. Police said a motorist in the inner lane slowed for Weisenthal, but the truck in the outer lane hit the woman, who was not in a crosswalk. Weisenthal was pronounced dead at Wilcox Hospital. She is Kaua'i's second traffic fatality of the year.
Lt. Mark Scribner of the Kaua'i Police Department said officers suspect alcohol use by the truck driver. No charges had been filed, and the investigation continues.
SUSPECT ALLEGEDLY SET MAN ON FIRE
HILO A Big Island man was charged yesterday with attempted murder for allegedly setting fire to another man after dousing him with lighter fluid.
Police reported the arrest Thursday of Alison Matsuda, 61, of Hilo. The 43-year-old victim, whose name was not released, was in stable condition at Hilo Medical Center.
Matsuda was charged yesterday with attempted murder and was being held at the Hawai'i Community Correctional Center, with bail set at $50,000.
