Man charged with setting church ablaze
A 52-year-old man was charged Wednesday with first-degree arson in connection with a fire Feb. 26 at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Captain Cook.
Hawaii County officers arrested Richard Paul Read of Captain Cook and charged him Wednesday afternoon with setting the fire, which caused about $80,000 in damage to the north side of the church.
Police said the fire engulfed the north rear entrance of the church when they arrived at 6:10 a.m.
Read was being held in lieu of $15,000 bail.
9 companies battle Manoa house fire
Firefighters responded to a two-alarm house fire in Manoa on Thursday night.
Fire officials said the single-family home in the 3400 block of East Manoa Road was engulfed in flames when they arrived.
The fire was reported at 9:17 p.m., and nine fire companies responded.
Homeless man allegedly injures officer
Prosecutors charged a 27-year-old homeless man Wednesday with the assault of a police officer near the Walmart on Keeaumoku Street.
An officer stopped Isaac Villegas at about 5:20 a.m. Tuesday to serve him with an outstanding court warrant, when the suspect fled and injured the officer, police said.
Officers found drugs on Villegas when they arrested him, police said.
Villegas was in custody in lieu of $46,000 bail on charges of resisting arrest, first-degree assault on a police officer and drug possession.
Rescuers help couple hike out of valley
Fire rescue personnel went to the aid of a couple in their 30s who became disoriented in low-lying clouds Thursday afternoon while hiking on a trail in Moanalua Valley.
Battalion Chief Howard Naone said the couple had cellphones with mainland phone numbers, so they might be visitors.
The Fire Department got the call for help at 2:45 p.m. Thursday. A fire helicopter was launched, and two rescue specialists were flown in to hike toward the couple.
The rescuers escorted the couple on foot until they reached a rendezvous point where a vehicle met them; they were driven back to the trail head at Moanalua Valley Neighborhood Park.
Pair charged with assaulting police officer
Two Waikiki women were charged Wednesday with assaulting a police officer near the Foodland in Pupukea.
Courtney Wilson, 25, and Taylor Guerrero, 21, were charged with first-degree assault on a police officer. Wilson also was charged with criminal property damage.
Bail for the two women was set at $12,000 each.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
4 are charged after police raid recovers drugs
Hawaii County authorities have charged three men and a woman with various drug offenses after police raided a Holualoa home Tuesday and recovered drugs, a gun and cash.
Vice officers searched a home on the 75-5200 block of Mamalahoa Highway on Tuesday and recovered suspected drugs; paraphernalia associated with crystal methamphetamine use and distribution; a loaded, unregistered .22-caliber revolver; and $344 in cash, police said.
Police arrested Jose Garcia, 38, David Mahi, 40, and Teri Pedro, 43, all of Kailua-Kona, and Edward Schoeppner Jr., 68, of Holualoa at the scene.
Schoeppner was charged Wednesday with meth trafficking, promoting a dangerous drug and possession of drug paraphernalia in connection with Tuesday’s search warrant. He was also charged with meth trafficking, promoting a dangerous drug, promoting a harmful drug and two counts of possessing drug paraphernalia related to a search warrant executed in December at the same house. His bail was set at $96,500.
Garcia was charged with meth trafficking, promoting a detrimental drug, two counts of promoting a dangerous drug, two counts of possessing drug paraphernalia and five firearm offenses. His bail was set at $193,000.
Mahi was charged with two counts each of promoting a dangerous drug and of possessing drug paraphernalia. His bail was set at $8,000.
Pedro was charged with promoting a dangerous drug, promoting a harmful drug and possessing drug paraphernalia. Her bail was set at $5,000.
