Medical problem killed driver in accident
Hawaii County police Monday identified a woman who died while driving an SUV Thursday afternoon as Alehandra Lauro of Kona.
An autopsy determined that Lauro, 77, died from a medical condition, police said.
Lauro was driving the SUV when it hit two vehicles and a stop sign, then overturned and caught fire at the intersection of Route 190 and Hinalani Street in Kailua-Kona.
Lauro was pronounced dead at Kona Community Hospital. Occupants of the other vehicles were not injured.
Man arrested in assault on police officer
A 47-year-old man who called police to report a stolen bicycle is behind bars after he allegedly punched a 29-year-old policewoman in the chest.
Police said that while the officer was interviewing the man about the bike Monday afternoon in Waikiki, he became "belligerent, refused to cooperate with the investigation" and told the officer he didn’t want to make a report.
As the officer was about to leave, she saw that the suspect was arguing with another woman. The officer attempted to intervene when the suspect turned and struck her, police said.
A second officer arrived and helped subdue the man. He was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault on a law enforcement officer.
Victim of assault in Makiki is identified
The 28-year-old man who died Sunday from brain injuries after an assault last month in Makiki has been identified as Richie Villanueva.
The cause of death is pending, officials from the medical examiner’s office said Tuesday.
Police said Villanueva was arguing with another man in a parking lot March 25 when he was assaulted. He was taken to a hospital, where he died at midnight Sunday, police said. Police have not yet arrested a 32-year-old man who was involved in the incident.
Police reclassified the case to second-degree murder on Monday.
Fire wrecks 2 vans, damages another
Police are investigating an early morning fire Tuesday that destroyed two vans and damaged a third near Aala Park.
Capt. Terry Seelig, Fire Department spokesman, said when firefighters arrived at a North Beretania Street parking lot near the Hawaii USA Federal Credit Union at 1:24 a.m., flames had engulfed a GMC Astro passenger van. The fire spread to a cargo van parked next to it and slightly damaged a delivery van parked nearby.
Firefighters brought the fires under control by 1:30 a.m.
Seelig said fire investigators determined that the fire was intentionally set. No one was injured. There was no immediate damage estimate.
