Suspect arrested in Kauai murder case

Kauai police have arrested a Lihue man on suspicion of second-degree murder in the death of a man whose body was found early Saturday morning in a parking lot near the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall.

Police on Sunday identified the victim as Gary Allianic Jr., 38, of Lihue.

Allianic died of injuries sustained in an assault, the Police Department said by email.

Detectives developed leads that resulted in the arrest of a Lihue man, 37, in connection with the case. He is being held in the police cellblock in lieu $1,005,000 bail.

“Our team of top notch investigators with assistance from the Patrol Services Bureau and the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney was able to swiftly apprehend the suspect,” said Acting Assistant Chief Richard Rosa. “Our community is safer as a result of their actions.”

The suspect has yet to be arraigned, Kauai County spokeswoman Mary Daubert said.

Speed likely a factor in motorcycle crash

Excessive speed appears to be a factor in a crash on the H-1 freeway in Halawa that left a 36-year-old motorcyclist in critical condition early Sunday, police said.

The crash occurred at about 12:30 a.m., and police closed all Ewa-bound lanes of the H-1 freeway to investigate.

Police said a Honolulu man speeding on a motorcycle rear-ended a passenger van. The motorcyclist, who was wearing a helmet, was thrown from the motorcycle and was taken in critical condition to a hospital.

The driver of the van was not hurt. Police reopened all of the Ewa-bound lanes about 4 a.m.

Rescuers spend night with stranded hikers

Five firefighters and the party they were rescuing stayed overnight Saturday in the Koolau Mountains above Pearl City.

The group of two adults and two children called for help at about 4:10 p.m. Saturday because they weren’t able to hike out from the Waimano Trail off Waimano Home Road in inclement weather, said Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Kendall Ching.

Rainy, cloudy weather prevented firefighters from using a helicopter to reach the group, and firefighters had to hike about 4 miles to reach the party, Ching said.

The firefighters found the group at about 8 p.m. Saturday, moved them to a safe location and stayed the night with them. Firefighters used a helicopter to rescue the hiking party at about 8:30 Sunday morning. The group was taken to a landing zone at Pearl City High School, where they were transferred to paramedics to be checked out.

Ching said no injuries were reported.

Divers rescued after boat engine fails

Maui fire rescue personnel assisted a group of scuba divers stranded aboard a disabled boat about a half-mile off Honokowai Beach Park early Sunday morning.

According to a Maui Fire Department report, five Kihei men, ages 25 to 70, were aboard the 17-foot vessel. After pulling anchor, the men were unable to restart the boat’s engine. Drifting south, they fired several emergency distress flares, which were spotted by security personnel from the Kahana Beach Resort who alerted MFD at 3:10 a.m.

An MFD rescue boat crew located the disabled vessel and transported it back to the Mala boat ramp in Lahaina by 5:45 p.m. No injuries were reported.