Burglaries have street’s residents on edge

Some residents of a Pearl City neighborhood say they’ve been traumatized by a string of burglaries and a fatal house fire allegedly started by a burglar on the same street.

"It’s scary and we can’t sleep at night," said Raechele Long, a resident of Hoomalolo Street, who has put cans in her yard as an alarm for prowling burglars. "Any time the dogs bark, we come out here and we’re looking out the window."

Police arrested a 35-year-old Ewa Beach man Tuesday for investigation of two counts of first-degree burglary in connection with two burglaries on Hoomalolo Street, including one at 1888 Hoomalolo, the morning after the house burned down in a 4:36 a.m. blaze determined to be intentionally set.

Police said the man was tracked down to a home on Kauiki Street in Ewa Beach and that he tried to run from officers.

Ron Kawakami, who lived at the destroyed home, said his neighbor saw the man on his property the morning after the fire and when the neighbor yelled at the man, the man responded that he had to "pick up some stuff."

"I’m glad they caught the guy," said Kawakami, whose 97-year-old mother, Betty Hagihara, died in the fire.

Sgt. Kim Buffett said the second burglary count involved a home that was broken into twice in September and March, and from which exotic fish were stolen. She said police received several tips after releasing a CrimeStoppers video from a security camera of two men burglarizing the Hoomalolo Street home. The men apparently were aware of the camera and covered their faces with their shirts, but their tattoos were visible.

Long, who lives a few doors from Kawakami, said he told her his home was broken into seven times over the years, including two times the week of the fire. She said the man whose fish was stolen told her mother that he was burglarized 13 times, including the day after the fire, and a neighbor down the street was hit three times.

She expressed slight relief that someone has been arrested.

"It’s a start," she said.