POLICE BEAT
Motorcyclist dies in crash with car
Advertiser Staff
WAILUKU, Maui — A motorcyclist died Wednesday night after crashing into a car on Haleakala Highway, about a mile northeast of Firebreak Road.
Police said Edmund F. Akiona, 28, of Makawao, was headed northeast on the highway at about 8:20 p.m. when his 2005 Honda CBR motorcycle crossed the center line and struck the driver's side of an oncoming Dodge Stratus.
The 35-year-old woman who was driving the sedan remained hospitalized yesterday at Maui Memorial Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
There have been 17 traffic deaths in Maui County this year compared with 13 a year ago.
GAS IN HIBACHI ENGULFS MAN, 36
A 36-year-old man was badly burned yesterday in Hau'ula while trying to light a hibachi using gasoline.
He was transported by Emergency Medical Services ambulance in critical condition to Straub Clinic & Hospital's burn center with first- and second-degree burns over 60 percent of his body. His condition has been upgraded to serious.
The accident at 53-270 Kamehameha Highway was reported at 12:35 p.m.
WOMAN INDICTED IN FLIGHT ASSAULT
A federal grand jury yesterday indicted Shawna K. Widemann for allegedly assaulting a passenger and flight attendant on ATA Flight 4587 from Phoenix to Honolulu on Nov. 15.
Widemann is also charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants. Her initial appearance is scheduled Friday before Magistrate Barry Kurren.
The indictment charges Widemann with striking a passenger in the face, pulling the passenger's hair and sticking her tongue in the passenger's mouth during the flight. Widemann is also charged with striking a flight attendant.
WOMAN ADDED TO ICE INDICTMENT
Jennifer Leona Lesseos was charged yesterday in a superseding federal indictment with delivering drug proceeds from an alleged crystal meth dealer in Hawai'i to his supplier in California.
Lesseos' name was added to a previous indictment charging Damien Kalei Hina, Jess Lundren, Jonathan Kimo Luna, Eric Moniz, John Saguibo, Ronald B.L. Hill and Larene Rinkle to a conspiring to distribute crystal methamphetamine in Hawai'i from September 2002 to December 2004.
Five others — Keele Vesnefski, Charles Gilman, Michael Castaneda, Randy Lee-Kwai and Ahisa Kaluhiokalani — have also been indicted in the same case.
Arraignment and plea for all will be sometime next week at federal court.
WOMAN ARRESTED FOR THEFT, FORGERY
Police arrested a 35-year-old woman Wednesday night after she allegedly tried to buy two laptop computers at the Comp-USA store in 'Aiea using a forged check and forged identification.
Police were called to the store and arrested the woman on suspicion of two counts of second-degree forgery, two counts of attempted second-degree theft and unauthorized possession of confidential personal information.
THEFT OF STATUE LEADS TO ARREST
Police arrested a 52-year-old 'Aiea man Wednesday night after witnesses reported seeing him steal a statue from a store on Kalakaua Avenue.
The man was arrested about 9:10 p.m. near the corner of Kuhio and Lili'uokalani avenues on suspicion of second-degree theft.
Police said the statue was valued at more than $300.
