Jamm Aquino
Rows of papaya trees on the Aloun Farms property Tuesday
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A farm in Puna is the latest casualty in a string of vandalism attacks targeting papaya-growing operations in the state.
According to Hawaii County police, about 100 papaya trees were cut down sometime between 5:30 p.m. Thursday and 6:30 a.m. Friday in a farm area off Highway 132 near the 4-mile marker. The trees were 3 to 4 feet tall and valued collectively at $3,000.
There have been several other notable cases of vandalism against papaya farms over the last four years.
In May 2010 vandals chopped down 400 papaya trees at a farm in Mililani. The following month, some 8,500 papaya trees spread out over 17 acres in Kapoho were destroyed.
In August 2011 three adjoining papaya farms in lower Puna were targeted. In that case an unspecified number of trees spread out over 10 acres was destroyed.
Also, in June 2012 vandals knocked over 35 papaya trees at a small farm in the Keaau area of Puna.
No arrests have been made in any of the cases.
Police ask anyone with information about this week’s incident to call officer Cala Arnold at 965-2716 or the Police Department’s nonemergency line at 935-3311. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call CrimeStoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona.
