Fire damages 2 auto repair shops

Two Pearl City auto repair shops sustained about $60,000 in damage in a fire early yesterday morning that is believed to have been intentionally set.

The 3:07 a.m. fire at 649 Kamehameha Highway originated in the office area of MLK Service and Repair. That part of the business sustained the most extensive damage, although a portion of the garage also was burned, said Honolulu fire Capt. Terry Seelig. Scotty’s Alignment and Brake Service next door also sustained some damage, Seelig said.

It took about 30 minutes for the fire to be extinguished.

The major-crimes detail of the Honolulu Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division has taken over the investigation.

Vehicle hits pedestrian in Kaneohe

A pedestrian was taken to the hospital in critical condition at about 5:37 p.m. yesterday after being struck by a vehicle in the Haiku section of Kaneohe. The incident happened at

Kamehameha Highway and Pahia Road

near the Kaneohe Shell service station, said Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city Emergency Services Department.

Suspects in shoplifting arrested

Police arrested a 27-year-old Liliha man who allegedly helped a 28-year-old shoplifter escape from store security near Ward Avenue on Sunday.

Two store security officers saw the woman shoplift items into a backpack at an undisclosed store, police said. They detained the woman after she left the store, but an alleged accomplice — the 27-year-old man — interfered with security, and both escaped on foot at about 11:45 a.m., police said. Both suspects were arrested at Ward Avenue and King Street for robbery about an hour later. The man also was arrested for hindering prosecution.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Man charged in ’09 killing

Maui police arrested Robert J. Chiarizia yesterday at a campsite on a charge of second-degree murder in the shooting death of a Kaupo man.

Police said Chiarizia, 40, had eluded them for months. He was arrested without incident at 5:49 a.m. in the remote area of Kaupo by Maui’s Special Response Team.

Alan Vegas was the victim of a single gunshot wound on Oct. 18, police said. Vegas was transported to the Maui Memorial Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Shortly after the shooting, police said Chiarizia was being sought and described him as armed and dangerous.

A Maui grand jury handed down an indictment on the second-degree murder charge.

Big Isle fire extinguished

Big Island firefighters extinguished a brush fire Sunday that burned two acres of pastureland about five miles mauka of Umikoa Village in Kukaiau Ranch on the Hamakua coast.

The fire started along Keanakolu/ Mana Road, about 15 miles from the Saddle Road access, at about 4:45 p.m. Firefighters got the fire under control at 6:50 p.m. but stayed through much of the night to extinguish hot spots.

The cause of the fire is undetermined.