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A 21-year-old man was charged Wednesday after he allegedly exposed himself to two girls inside a restroom at Waikele Elementary School.
Elijah Spriggs-Kahalewai, of no local address, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor sexual assault, harassment, open lewdness and simple trespass. He is being held at Oahu Community Correctional Center unable to post $6,000 bail.
A Department of Education spokeswoman said the victims are in the third grade.
In a letter to parents Thursday, Sheldon Oshio, Waikele’s principal, said someone noticed the man loitering in the area and notified police before the man entered the girl’s restroom near the cafeteria while the students were inside. A bystander who had been watching the man chased him away.
Adults in the area detained Spriggs-Kahalewai on Kukula Street until police arrived and arrested him.
Oshio said the incident happened at about 3:15 p.m., after the school day had ended and during an A+ program in the cafeteria.
“The safety of your children is of utmost importance to us,” he said in the letter. “We are very grateful to have an alert school community that also looks out for our keiki.”
Less than two weeks before the Waikele incident, Spriggs-Kahalewai was arrested for investigation of second-degree robbery in Waipahu. He was arrested at 6:52 a.m. Nov. 8 and released pending investigation. Police had no synopsis on that incident, and no charges have been filed.