Suspect pleads not guilty in attack
A homeless man charged with kidnapping and trying to sexually assault a woman along Punahou Street earlier this month pleaded not guilty Tuesday.
Ferdinand Bermejo, 33, is being held at Oahu Community Correctional Center in lieu of $100,000 bail pending trial, scheduled for the week of Feb. 27.
Police said that at about 1:30 a.m. Dec. 7, a man followed the victim up Punahou from South Beretania Street to Dole Street and grabbed the woman. Three men in a nearby apartment heard screams, pulled the attacker off the woman and held him until officers arrived.
Bermejo, who has a hearing impairment and was helped by sign-language specialists at Tuesday’s hearing, is charged with kidnapping and third-degree attempted sexual assault.
Teamsters back Hannemann in primary
Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann has won the endorsement of the Hawaii Teamsters & Allied Workers Union Local 996 in his Democratic primary campaign in the 2nd Congressional District.
The union represents more than 6,000 workers in Hawaii and on Guam.
"Mufi is an insightful leader and impassioned advocate who will fight for the hard-working men and women of Hawaii," Teamsters President Ron Kozuma said in a statement. "Mufi knows and understands firsthand the needs of working people and their families."
Hannemann is facing Honolulu City Councilwoman Tulsi Gabbard, state Office of Hawaiian Affairs chief advocate Esther Kiaaina, patients’ rights advocate Rafael del Castillo and Hilo attorney Bob Marx in the primary. The district covers rural Oahu and the neighbor islands.
Car salesman gets probation in tax case
A Honolulu District Court judge sentenced a luxury car salesman to a year of probation for failing to file his annual excise tax returns for the years 2003 to 2007.
William A. Bartenstein, who specializes in selling Corvettes and other sport cars and luxury vehicles, was sentenced Dec. 20 by District Judge Faye Koyanagi to a year of probation and 200 hours of community service.
Prior to sentencing, he made payments to the Department of Taxation totaling $44,974 for general excise taxes owed for 2003 through 2007.
Bartenstein was found ineligible for a deferral of his guilty plea due to a 2010 conviction for failing to file a currency transaction report with the Internal Revenue Service after he accepted more than $10,000 in a single cash transaction for the sale of a car.
Autopsy shows Hilo swimmer did not drown
An autopsy has determined that a swimmer pulled from waters off Richardson Ocean Park in Hilo died of natural causes.
She was identified as Valeria Mee-Lee, 70, of Honolulu. An autopsy Tuesday determined that she died due to a medical condition.
South Hilo police responded to a report of a swimmer in distress at 5:24 p.m. Monday. Her son paddled Mee-Lee to shore on a surfboard and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Responding fire crews took her to Hilo Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Help sought in identifying pair of suspects
Hawaii County police are asking for the public’s help in identifying two men involved in a home invasion robbery last month in Puna.
Police said two men with sharp weapons forced their way inside a 29-year-old Keaau man’s home at about 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 25. The victim was injured by one of the weapons, police said. Both assailants ran off.
One suspect was described as in his late 30s, 5 feet 6 and about 210 pounds. He is bald with a dark complexion.
The second burglar, who may have been injured, is in his mid- to late 20s, about 5 feet 10, 160 pounds with a fair complexion. He has blue eyes, short blond hair, a slim build and acne scars on his face.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Joel Field at 961-2381 or email jfield@co.hawaii.hi. us. Anonymous tips can be made to CrimeStoppers in Hilo at 961-8300 or in Kona at 329-8181.
