Man arrested for Kona, Hilo burglaries
Man arrested for Kona, Hilo burglaries
Big Island police have charged a 53-year-old former Hilo man with various offenses stemming from crimes that allegedly occurred on both sides of the island.
At 12:33 a.m. Thursday, Kona patrol officers responded to a nuisance call at Honokohau Small Boat Harbor and made contact with Christopher Brian Perkins, who was seated in a light blue 1990 BMW sedan. Officers recovered what appeared to be marijuana after obtaining permission to search the car, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
Perkins also was wanted for a burglary and credit card offenses that stemmed from an incident in which a Kailua-Kona couple reported their home had been forcibly entered. It was initially believed nothing had been removed from the house, but an investigation revealed several unauthorized transactions had been made at area businesses with the victims’ credit card number.
Perkins was identified as the suspect through video surveillance police recovered from one of the businesses. Perkins was held in the Kona police cellblock while Area II Criminal Investigations Section detectives continued the investigation.
In Hilo, Area I Criminal Investigations Section detectives were investigating a burglary that took place Sunday at a home in the upper Kukuau Street area, where jewelry and a firearm were reportedly stolen. Detectives recovered video surveillance from the property and were able to link a BMW seen in the video to Perkins, who had recently acquired the car.
Police were actively seeking him for questioning. At 7 p.m. Thursday, after conferring with prosecutors, Kona detectives charged Perkins with first-degree burglary, five counts of fraudulent use of a credit card, five counts of fourth-degree theft, five counts of third-degree identity theft, two counts of third-degree computer fraud, seven counts of second-degree forgery, and one count of third-degree promoting a detrimental drug. His bail for the Kona cases was set at $234,000, police said.
Perkins was then arrested on suspicion of first-degree burglary, first-degree theft, and second-degree theft in connection with the Hilo case. He was transferred to the Hilo cellblock while Area I detectives continued the investigation into that case.
At 9 a.m. Friday, after conferring with prosecutors, Hilo detectives charged Perkins with first-degree burglary, first-degree theft, second-degree theft and two counts of ownership or possession prohibited firearms and ammunition. His bail for the Hilo case was set at $110,000. Detectives have recovered the stolen firearm and ammunition.
Man to get second shot at gun license request
HONOLULU — A federal appeals court is giving a Hawaii man another chance to argue that he should be allowed to carry a gun in public — a privilege rarely granted to people in the state.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion Thursday sending Christopher Baker’s motion for a preliminary injunction back to District Court. Baker filed a lawsuit in 2011 against the Honolulu Police Department after he was denied a license to carry a gun in public for self-defense.
The appeals court said the lower court erred when it ruled that Baker couldn’t prove Hawaii’s restrictions on carrying firearms violate the Second Amendment.
Baker’s attorney, Richard Holcomb, said the decision has broad ramifications for Hawaii, where state law says licenses to carry guns are only given in “exceptional” cases.
“We believe they have validated our position there’s a right to carry a firearm outside the home for the purpose of self-defense,” he said. “Every citizen has a right to defend themselves.”
A Honolulu police spokeswoman said the department won’t comment on pending litigation.
Police probe crash that damaged fence
The Hawaii Police Department is investigating third-degree criminal property damage to a fence in The Pines subdivision in Kailua-Kona, spokeswoman Chris Loos said.
Shortly before 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, someone reported to police hearing a loud noise and seeing a vehicle, which had crashed through a fence, leave the scene. The damage is estimated to be nearly $500, Loos said.
Bill Wessling lives in the Hualalai Elderly Housing Complex, just makai of The Pines subdivision. He heard the noise and photographed the aftermath. This is the third major crash on Hualalai Road he’s aware of since moving into the area seven years ago, and while he appreciates the efforts police are making to investigate the recent incident, he believes they could do more on this road, which he called “a back road for drunken drivers.”
Wessling doesn’t own a vehicle and travels on Hualalai Road via foot daily. He said Hualalai Road has become dangerous and he regularly sees excessive speeding and inattentive drivers on their cellphones. Wessling said he called police about this issue Friday.
Anyone with information about this crash should call the Kona Police Station at 326-4646 or the department’s nonemergency line at 935-3311.
Crash causes road closure, delays
A portion of Saddle Road closed Friday following a single-vehicle crash near mile marker 44, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
Sgt. Jason Berryhill at Waimea Police Station said the crash was reported to police at 8:28 a.m. Friday and the vehicle belongs to the military.
Army public affairs officer Stefani Gardin said the vehicle involved was a Marine Corps truck that was towing a Howitzer. Friday morning, Gardin did not know the details leading up to the crash, but said the vehicle and trailer were perpendicular in the road.
Military fire and police responded to the scene. No injuries were reported, Gardin said.
At 1:19 p.m. Friday, the Hawaii Police Department reported traffic was flowing in both directions on the road.
Sedatives cited in toddler’s death
HONOLULU — A 3-year-old Hawaii girl who suffered a heart attack during a dentist visit likely died because of the drugs given to sedate her, according to a medical examiner’s autopsy report.
Finley Puleo Boyle, of Kailua, Oahu, probably died because of the sedatives and local anesthesia that were administered during her December dental procedure, Honolulu Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Christopher Happy concluded in his autopsy report. He classified the death as an accident.
The girl lapsed into a coma Dec. 3 in the office of Dr. Lilly Geyer at Island Dentistry for Children. She died Jan 3. The office has since closed.
The autopsy report said the previously healthy girl had no signs of underlying heart problems or an allergic reaction to the array of sedatives and anesthetic she received in preparation for cavity fillings and root canals, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Friday.
The medical examiner noted her teeth were in good shape: “the oral cavity has native dentition in good repair.”
Finley received five drugs, according to the report, including Demerol, hydroxyzine and chlorohydrate. She was also given laughing gas and an injection of a local anesthetic, lidocaine with epinephrine.
In January, new state rules took effect tightening oversight of dental sedation in Hawaii.
By local and wire sources