Plea deal in woman’s death means prison
A Waipahu care home operator is pleading guilty to manslaughter in the death of an 88-year-old woman.
The state attorney general’s office says Jennifer Polintan is expected to be sentenced to a year in jail for recklessly causing the death of Nona Mosman in 2013.
An investigation found that Polintan worked full time at Schofield Barracks and wasn’t around to care for Mosman, who was bedridden. Prosecutors say Mosman was left with people who were not qualified to care for her and that her health declined rapidly because of neglect.
Polintan would be sentenced to a year in prison as part of a plea agreement.
Damaged door panel delays flights
Hawaiian Airlines customers experienced delays in departures and an arrival Monday due to the discovery of a damaged door panel on one of its aircraft, an airline spokesman said in an email response to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s inquiry.
Flight 17 was scheduled to depart Las Vegas at 1:55 a.m. Monday but departed at 6:49 p.m. It arrived in Honolulu at 9:31 p.m., nearly 17 hours later than scheduled. Flight 17’s Airbus 330-200 had damage to the door panel. The aircraft was replaced.
Hawaiian Airlines spokesman Huy Vo said in an email, "Out of an abundance of caution, we are checking the balance of the fleet."
Six flights were delayed from Honolulu to mainland cities. They include San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Seattle and Portland, Ore. One flight from Kahului to Las Vegas was also delayed.
Alleged intruder held, charged in drug crimes
Police charged a 49-year-old Hawaii island man whose Kau neighbor found him inside her house Saturday after he allegedly took a shower, drank her alcohol, entered her car and stole her car keys. He was also charged with drug crimes.
The woman neighbor recognized the intruder as a man who lives in the area. The man fled over a fence, breaking it.
On Sunday police arrested Jeb Thurlby at his home and saw marijuana plants growing on his property, police said.
A search warrant was served, and officers recovered 112 marijuana plants, ranging in size from seedlings to 4 feet tall.
Authorities charged Thurlby on Sunday with commercial promotion of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bail was set at $20,000.
He was also charged Monday with burglary, unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle and criminal property damage. Bail on those offenses was set at $7,250.
Diver rescued from ocean dies at hospital
A 53-year-old Puna man drowned Sunday afternoon off Punaluu Beach Park, Hawaii County police said Monday.
Reginald Awaa of Mountain View became distressed when he was diving with family at 12:08 p.m., police said.
Police and fire officials pulled him from the water and transported him to Kau Hospital, where he died at 1:35 p.m., police said.
An autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of death.
