Pair caught with light pole in pickup truck
Honolulu police arrested two Kalihi men who allegedly tried to steal a 30-foot aluminum light pole in broad daylight near a busy highway.
A state Department of Transportation spokesman said the pole had been knocked down by a traffic accident and was lying beside Pali Highway Sunday afternoon near Queen Emma Summer Palace.
Police said the men, 44 and 46, had loaded the pole into the pickup truck when officers arrived and arrested them at 3:25 p.m. on suspicion of second-degree theft.
Dan Meisenzahl, DOT spokesman, said the pole has been cut into pieces and deposited in a state salvage yard.
Meisenzahl said each pole costs about $870 to replace and weighs about 150 pounds. This is at least the third time in 12 years that someone has stolen or tried to steal a utility pole, apparently for the scrap metal value, Meisenzahl said.
Inmate arrested in wrong-way crash
Police arrested a 35-year-old convict Monday afternoon on suspicion of first-degree attempted murder in a July 28 incident in which someone driving a stolen car the wrong way on Likelike Highway crashed into a police car while trying to evade authorities.
Police said the man, who is in custody at Halawa Correctional Facility, was taken to the Pearl City station and booked for investigation of attempted murder and leaving the scene of an accident, a misdemeanor.
The suspect was allegedly driving a stolen Lexus when he crashed the vehicle at 2:30 a.m. July 28 near Wilson Street just past Kalihi Valley Homes and fled from the scene. The passenger in the car, Michael Ahakuelo, was arrested at the time of the crash and charged with second-degree unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle.
The suspect was serving a five-year mandatory minimum sentence for unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, a Class C felony, and was sentenced on Sept. 20, 2006.
Woman injured in motorcycle accident
A 30-year-old woman reportedly fell off the back of a motorcycle Monday afternoon near Yokohama Bay and was struck by another motorcycle, an Emergency Medical Services supervisor said.
The woman was taken by ambulance in critical condition to a trauma center. She was later upgraded to guarded condition.
The accident, reported to EMS at 1:39 p.m., occurred in the area of Farrington Highway and Makua Valley Road.
Suspect in Koko Crater brush fire released
A man arrested Friday in connection with a brush fire on the slopes of Koko Crater the same day was released pending further investigation.
A 29-year-old man from Waialae Iki was arrested on suspicion of first-degree arson after the fire temporarily trapped six people on a trail. Several hikers had to be taken down by a police helicopter.
The man was released at 5 p.m. Sunday. No charges have been filed against him. No homes were damaged.
Serious injuries result from bike accident
A woman was seriously injured in a bicycling accident Monday afternoon on a bike path in the Ke Nui Road area of the North Shore. She was taken to a hospital by ambulance, an Emergency Medical Services supervisor said.
The emergency call was received at 12:24 p.m.
Ocean Safety personnel responded to the injured woman before EMS paramedics arrived, the EMS supervisor said.
Help sought in finding missing senior
Hawaii County police are renewing their plea for help in finding a missing 70-year-old man.
Annad Arkangel, who had no permanent address, was last heard from Aug. 15, 2008, by his son in California.
Arkangel was reported missing June 3, 2009.
He is described as Filipino, 5 feet 11 inches tall, 110 pounds, with brown eyes, a slim build, thinning gray hair and a dark complexion.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Lt. Gregory Esteban at 961-2252.