Police have released a 32-year-old homeless man while they continue the investigation into the incident last week where a good Samaritan lost his backpack while helping victims of an overturned vehicle in Chinatown.
The suspect was arrested Friday near North King and Smith streets on suspicion of second-degree theft and second-degree conspiracy to commit identity theft. He was released that same night pending further investigation.
Police said the suspect took items belonging to Randy Gonce and then conspired with another individual to conduct fraudulent transactions using Gonce’s stolen credit cards at several nearby commercial establishments. Within 90 minutes the thief exhausted Gonce’s personal bank account, police said.
The incident occurred at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday on North King Street near Smith Street, said Gonce, the good Samaritan, said on his Facebook page.
Gonce said he put down his bag to help pull a family out of the vehicle. Soon he realized his bag and its contents were missing, including his laptop, wallet, car keys, phone and term papers.
Police are not saying whether any of Gonce’s personal items, like his laptop, were recovered.
Wallet, cellphone taken in Hilo robbery
Hawaii County police are investigating a robbery Monday morning in Hilo.
At 6:15 a.m. a 27-year-old Hilo man was assaulted near Keawe and Haili streets, and his wallet and cellphone were taken.
The suspect is described as about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 125 to 130 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a yellow T-shirt.
The victim declined treatment for his injuries.
Police ask anyone with information about this case to call the Police Department’s nonemergency line at 935-3311.
Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call CrimeStoppers at 961-8300.
Man arraigned after being shot by police
After several weeks in rehabilitation, a 24-year-old Makaha man who was shot by police more than a month ago when he allegedly resisted arrest at a hotel near the airport was arraigned in Circuit Court on Monday and entered pleas of not guilty to charges ranging from terroristic threatening to burglary.
Carlos Lopes-Salas was shot March 23 at Pacific Marina Inn when he pointed a stolen semi-automatic pistol at officers who were trying to arrest him for investigation of a burglary, police said. He had been confined to the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific and has to use a wheelchair.
He was charged with first-degree terroristic threatening and three firearm offenses in the March 23 case. Bail was set at $250,000. Trial is set to begin the week of July 5 before Circuit Judge Shirley Kawamura.
Lopes-Salas also entered not-guilty pleas to two separate burglary charges that occurred in January and March with those cases also set for trial in July.
Lopes-Salas was arraigned via closed-circuit video teleconference from Oahu Community Correctional Center, where he was in a wheelchair.
