Hawaii County police are again asking the public for any tips about a 42-year-old Hilo man who disappeared in 2007.
Willie Dennis Eriksson, who lived on Kaiwiki Road, was reported missing on Nov. 22, 2007.
He was last seen Nov. 7, 2007, at a general store in Mountain View in the Puna District.
He is described as Caucasian, 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 195 pounds, with blue eyes, short gray or partially gray hair and a goatee.
He was known to frequent downtown Hilo and traveled between Hilo and Kona.
Police have not ruled out foul play.
Anyone with information on Eriksson is asked to call Detective Tuckloy Aurello at 961-2385 or tuckloy.aurello@hawaiicounty.gov or the police non-emergency number at 935-3311. Anonymous tipsters may call CrimeStoppers at 961-8300.
Hilo inmate misses furlough check-in
Hilo inmate Shawn Kaawa, who was on furlough and scheduled for a probation hearing Thursday, failed to report to the Hale Nani Reintegration Center for his scheduled check-in Wednesday and is now considered an escapee, according to the state Department of Public Safety.
Kaawa, 34, is serving time for prohibited acts related to drug paraphernalia. He is classified as community custody, the lowest custody level.
He is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 165 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes.
Inmates in the extended furlough program live and work outside of the facility but must check in at various times throughout the month.
Driver allegedly hits police car on purpose
Police are looking for a male suspect who allegedly struck a police car with the vehicle he was driving, attempting to injure a police officer early Thursday morning during a traffic stop in Pearl City.
Police said the suspect intentionally hit the police car at 12:15 a.m. to injure the officer, damaging the officer’s vehicle. The suspect then fled the scene.
Police have opened a first-degree criminal property damage case.
Suspect sought in Kapolei robbery
Police are looking for a male suspect who robbed a restaurant in Kapolei on Wednesday night.
The suspect was armed with a “dangerous instrument” and threatened a 17-year-old female employee with it during the 9:30 p.m. robbery, police said.
Police have opened a first-degree robbery case.
Brush fire burns close to Molokai Airport
Firefighters squelched a 10-acre brush fire Thursday morning near the Molokai Airport that came close to a house.
The firefighters arrived at the scene at 8:31 a.m. and found a half-acre burning about a quarter-mile south of the airport, a Maui Fire Department spokesman said in a news release.
The fire got as close as 50 yards from one home, but no damage or injuries were reported.
About 10 acres of brush had burned by 10 a.m. when the fire was brought under control. The fire was extinguished at 1:52 p.m.
Sixteen firefighters from three stations, a county Department of Public Works water tanker and the fire department’s Air 1 helicopter were involved in fighting the blaze.
It appeared to have started in some brush south of the airport off Maunaloa Highway, the release said.
The cause has not been determined.
