4 suspects arrested in Waipahu carjacking that prompted school lockdowns

Masked suspects attempted to steal a vehicle in Mokuleia on Thursday morning, leading to the lockdown of two Waipahu schools.

Walter Ozeki, major of the Honolulu Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division, said in a news conference Thursday afternoon that plainclothes officers had responded to a possible robbery in progress in Mokuleia at 9:37 a.m. involving two partially masked males.

He said the suspects were attempting to steal a vehicle on the street in Mokuleia while using a silver Nissan Altima that was stolen in Waipahu a few days prior. Ozeki said one of the males had a handgun.

“It was the taking of an unoccupied vehicle,” Ozeki said. “When the owner confronted him (the suspect), the driver of the stolen vehicle brandished a handgun.”

The suspects then drove the Altima back to Waipahu, followed by police.

The male suspects fled from the vehicle about an hour later, around 10:30 a.m., about a half- mile from Waipahu High School.

Two females were still in the car when police arrested them for unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle. The two males were found nearby shortly after and arrested for first- degree robbery and unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, Ozeki said.

Waipahu High School was informed of the incident and initiated its lockdown at 10:40 a.m., while August Ahrens Elementary School started its lockdown at 10:50 a.m., letters to parents sent from the schools’ principals said.

The Waipahu High School letter shows an active-shooter announcement was made via loudspeaker.

The announcement was, “This is a lockdown. There is an active shooter on campus. Look on your telephone monitor for updates.”

At 11:02 a.m. another announcement made indicated there was no active-shooter situation at the high school.

August Ahrens Elementary School lifted its lockdown at 11:45 a.m.

“What happened at Waipahu High School today is unfortunate and we apologize for the panic and stress it caused the school community,” Lindsay Chambers, communications director for the state Department of Education, said Thursday afternoon in a statement.

Ozeki said police made the schools aware of the situation but that the schools make the decision whether to go on lockdown.

The two arrested males had warrants, one for $25,000 and the other for $30,000, and one of the arrested females had a warrant as well.

There were no injuries reported.