Man arrested in Iolani Palace vandalism

State sheriffs arrested a 57-year-old man after he allegedly broke etched glass panes to three doors at Iolani Palace.

Kippen de Alba Chu, executive director of the Friends of Iolani Palace, said a palace guard saw the suspect break the glass panes with a metal pipe on the mauka side of the palace sometime before 5:15 p.m. Sunday.

The intruder triggered the perimeter alarm when he set foot on the steps and lanai of the palace.

Toni Schwartz, spokeswoman of the Department of Public Safety, said the man also damaged a glass door to the House chambers at the state Capitol courtyard before state sheriffs arrested him on suspicion of criminal property damage.

De Alba Chu said palace officials turned over to law enforcement surveillance videos that captured images of the man shattering the glass panes.

Members of the Friends of Iolani Palace boarded up the damaged panes with wood Sunday night. The palace was closed Monday in observance of Memorial Day.

De Alba Chu said Iolani Palace will open to the public today during its regular scheduled hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Meanwhile, the organization plans to contact an appraiser to get a damage estimate and determine whether the glass panes were the original panes. Members also plan to discuss how they can prevent a recurrence of vandalism.

De Alba Chu said he was in “disbelief” when he received a call from the head of security that Iolani Palace was vandalized again. Three years ago a 21-year-old Hawaii Kai woman was charged after she was observed kicking a door to the front of the palace.

In April 2014 an Oahu grand jury indicted Drew Paahau, also known as Drew Paahao and Pua Paahao, on charges of first-degree criminal property damage and second-degree burglary.

Surveillance cameras captured images of a woman later identified as Paahau kicking the door, causing the etched original glass pane to shatter. The estimated value of the 130-year-old glass pane was $100,000. The cameras also captured her and a 30-year-old man entering the palace’s Great Hall before palace guards captured them.

In November 2014 Circuit Judge Rom Trader sentenced Paahau to a year in jail with credit for time served and four years of HOPE (Hawaii’s Opportunity Probation With Enforcement) probation. She was also ordered to pay $11,540 in restitution. The man with Paahau at the time of the break-in was not charged.

Iolani Palace was built in 1882 as the official residence of the Hawaiian monarchy, according to its website. In 1895 Queen Lili‘uokalani was imprisoned at the palace for eight months following the 1893 overthrow of the monarchy.

Iolani Palace was designated a national historic landmark in 1962.