Officer fined for unlicensed driving
Honolulu Police Department veteran Boyd Kamikawa avoided additional jail time after he pleaded no contest Tuesday to his third offense of driving without a valid driver’s license.
District Judge Dean E. Ochiai fined Kamikawa $500 and ordered him to pay $47 in fees. Ochiai could have fined Kamikawa, 54, to up $1,000 and sentenced him to a year in jail.
Kamikawa, a 24-year HPD veteran, was driving his mother’s car March 20 when he hit another vehicle, said Kelsi Guerra, deputy city prosecutor. Kamikawa asked the other motorist, whom he knows through his work as a police officer, not to report the incident, Guerra said.
Kamikawa had previously pleaded no contest to twice operating a vehicle while his license was under revocation for drunken driving.
The March incident was not counted as his third offense — which would have qualified him for higher penalties including a year in jail and permanent license revocation — because the period of revocation had expired. His attorney Jonathan Burge said Kamikawa could have gotten back his license before the March incident but didn’t.
Another judge sentenced Kamikawa last week to 30 days in jail, $1,000 in fines and 300 hours of community service for hitting a 61-year-old pedestrian in downtown Honolulu last year while driving drunk and for driving twice after the state revoked his license. He is scheduled to begin serving his sentence next month.
More charges added in arson case
An Oahu grand jury added two more first-degree arson counts Tuesday to an indictment already charging a 45-year-old Moiliili man with crimes. He had previously been charged with two first-degree arson, two second-degree arson and one fourth-degree arson counts.
Thomas Chong is accused of setting fires to four homes of people connected to his ex-girlfriend and twice setting fire to a car belonging to a friend of the ex-girlfriend between May 10 and 20.
Suspect in bank robberies arrested
Police have arrested a man in connection with robberies at two Ewa Beach banks over the past week.
The 37-year-old man, who has no local address, was booked at 10:20 Monday night at the main police station on suspicion of two counts of second-degree robbery.
He was being held on three contempt warrants, and $20,000 bail for revocation of probation.
Police said the man demanded money from a teller at the American Savings Bank at 1401 Fort Weaver Road on Saturday morning. He fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.
On Monday, the man demanded money from a teller at First Hawaiian Bank, 91-919 Fort Weaver Road, about 1 p.m., police said. He fled on foot with money.
Park hits milestone
Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park in West Hawaii is celebrating its 50th anniversary as part of the National Park Service with a free cultural festival Friday through Sunday. There will be hula performances, cultural demonstrations, crafts and food from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Sandbag project likely to affect traffic
A Kauai County road crew will replace sandbags along Aliomanu Road on Thursday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The project is a temporary measure to protect the eroded shoreline.
County officials advise motorists to exercise caution and expect delays while driving in the area.
Call the Roads Division at 241-4847.
