Iced tea, head staples lead police to Wahiawa holdup suspects
Caleb Edie, left, and Brandon Harter — both Schofield Barracks soldiers — are awaiting a preliminary hearing on robbery charges in connection with the Sept. 27 holdup of New California Market in Wahiawa.
Two Schofield Barracks soldiers, including one who was hit on the head by a store owner, were caught on surveillance tape robbing a Wahiawa market at gunpoint Sunday night, according to court documents.
An Oahu grand jury indicted Brandon Harter, 20, and Caleb Edie, 20, for first-degree robbery, the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office said.
Both are charged with first-degree robbery of New California Market at 9:30 p.m. Sunday and are being held at Oahu Community Correctional Center, unable to post bail of $50,000.
Police arrested Harter at 10:22 p.m. Sunday on 71 Kukui St. — about 500 feet from the market at 404 California Ave.
Police arrested Edie two days later at Schofield Barracks after he was identified by Harter’s girlfriend, who said she saw him on a surveillance video of the robbery that was shown on television news Monday night.
Harter’s girlfriend told police that Edie had sent her photos with pictures of his head with staples in it Monday afternoon.
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The girlfriend said Edie told her that he had a concussion and she said she knew that its was Edie because she had seen him on the surveillance video being hit on the head with a pole during the robbery.
Edie told Harter’s girlfriend that the six staples went all the way to his skull.
Chun Hui Shi, the owner of the Wahiawa market, told police in an affidavit that two men entered his store at 9:26 p.m. Sunday wearing “hoodie”-type jackets and baseball caps.
Harter walked to a cooler, and took a Brisk iced tea beverage and after paying for the items allegedly brandished a black handgun.
Harter placed the gun on the counter, according to the police affidavit, pointed it at the store owner and said: “give me all the money.”
At about the same time, market owner Shi said Edie took a bottle of Jack Daniels, valued at $43.99, and ran out of the market.
A responding police officer stopped Harter because he matched the description of one of the holdup suspects and saw a one-liter bottle of Brisk iced tea on the front seat of Harter’s car. The beverage appeared to be cold because there was condensation on the bottle, the police affidavit said.
