HAWAI'I BRIEFS
'Chop shop' suspect charged
Advertiser Staff
A 30-year-old man was charged yesterday in connection with the recent seizure of stolen vehicles at his 'Ao'ao Place residence.
Edward S. Ladera is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail on two counts of auto theft.
Police seized a 2004 Jaguar stolen Oct. 5 and three stolen motorcycles at 2009 'Ao'ao Place, where neighbors had complained of ongoing "chop shop" activity. The Jaguar, which police allegedly saw Ladera driving, had rear license plates registered to a Dodge Durango, according to a police report filed in District Court.
WAIKIKI
CAR-THEFT SUSPECT LINGERS TOO LONG
A 23-year-old Waipahu man was arrested Wednesday after he apparently lingered too long in an area of Waikiki where a stolen car was being recovered.
Police officers were sent to where the car was being recovered about 1 p.m. and witnesses pointed out a man they say drove up in the car. Police then arrested the man on suspicion of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle.
PALOLO
POLICE FIND MAN RANSACKING CAR
Police arrested a 32-year-old Palolo man Wednesday afternoon as a suspect in a car break-in. Patrol officers from the Kalihi substation were responding to a report of an attempted car theft in progress. Police said the man who was arrested was found inside the car, ransacking it. He was arrested about 3:25 p.m. on suspicion of unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle.
KAKA'AKO
COUNTERFEIT GIFT CHECKS SPOTTED
A 24-year-old Kalihi man was arrested Wednesday afternoon after he allegedly tried to cash six counterfeit American Express gift checks at a bank in Kaka'ako.
Police said a teller at the bank on Queen Street called for assistance after she examined the checks for security features and didn't find any. The man who tried to cash the checks was arrested about 2:30 p.m. on suspicion of six counts of second-degree forgery.
MILILANI
RUNAWAY SUSPECT IDENTIFIED, CAUGHT
A 25-year-old man was arrested Wednesday in connection with an attempted car theft in Mililani on Oct. 31.
Patrol officers were sent to check on a report of a car break-in in progress on Kawelo'alii Street and came upon the car with two men still inside. Police ordered the two men to get out of the car and lie the ground. Both men complied, but before the officers could handcuff them, one suspect jumped up and ran away.
One of the officers recognized the man who ran away from a previous contact with him, police said, and members of the Central O'ahu crime-reduction unit caught up with and arrested him yesterday on suspicion of attempted unauthorized control of a motor vehicle.
LANA'I
SCHOOL TO GET MORE CLASSROOMS
Gov. Linda Lingle has released $616,000 to design a six-classroom building at Lana'i High and Elementary School.
The new building will have two science classrooms, a special-education classroom, a computer-technology classroom and two general-education classrooms.
According to the Department of Education, the current enrollment of 636 students is expected to increase to 658 by 2008. To make up for the classroom shortfall, the school has nine temporary portable buildings. The total project cost is estimated at $11.65 million. The design phase is expected to be completed in November 2007.
BIG ISLAND
WOMAN FOUND IN POOLS IDENTIFIED
HILO — Big Island police have identified a woman whose body was found in the tidal pools at Kapoho Vacationland earlier this week as Shaula Groulx, of Portland, Ore.
Groulx was found floating face down at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday. Police said Groulx, 40, had been snorkeling in the tidal pools with friends earlier that day.
Fire rescue personnel took her to Hilo Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 2:04 p.m. Police have ordered an autopsy.
POLICE ASK PUBLIC HELP IN BREAK-IN
HILO — Big Island police are asking for the public's help in their investigation of a break-in at a gas station in Kealakekua on Nov. 3.
The thief threw a rock through a glass door, entered the building, removed a container of beer and left, police said.
Police ask anyone with information about the case to call Officer Don Takahashi at (808) 326-4646, ext. 253, or the Police Department's nonemergency number at (808) 935-3311.
Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call CrimeStoppers at (808) 961-8300 in Hilo or (808) 329-8181 in Kona. All CrimeStoppers information is kept confidential.
