Suspects found in vacant house
Hawaii County authorities have charged a couple with burglary and theft for allegedly staying in an unoccupied house in Pepeekeo.
On Friday police received reports of suspicious activity at a home on Kaupakueha Homestead Road, where lights were on in a house that was supposed to be empty.
Police arrested 27-year-old Akoni Perry and 32-year-old Holly White and held them at the Hilo police cellblock while detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section investigated.
Perry and White were charged with first-degree burglary and fourth-degree theft. Bail was set at $5,250 each.
Inmate faces escape charge
A 45-year-old inmate will be charged with second-degree escape after he failed to return to the Oahu Community Correctional Center on time Sunday after being out on a one-day work furlough.
Robert Villaros left the prison Saturday morning and was supposed to be back at 1 a.m. Sunday. He did not return until 7 p.m. Sunday.
Villaros was serving time for second-degree burglary.
Brush fire burns 1,000 acres
It took 25 Hawaii County firefighters nearly eight hours Sunday night to control a brush fire that scorched more than 1,000 acres.
The fire was reported just after 2:31 p.m. Sunday at Kaaulalu near South Point, and tradewinds spread the flames to the northwest, fire officials said in a news release.
Five engines, two tankers, two helicopters, two bulldozers and other fire crews and four-wheel-drive vehicles battled the blaze. The cause of the fire is under investigation. There were no injuries.
