Police: Car thieves arrested thanks to public support

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Police are crediting the arrest of a Kurtistown couple on auto theft charges to public involvement.

Police are crediting the arrest of a Kurtistown couple on auto theft charges to public involvement.

On Aug. 5, police published an Aug. 4 photo of a woman operating a 1985 Nissan pickup truck that was stolen on July 30 from a shopping center on Puainako Street in Hilo. The photo was taken shortly after a 2001 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck was stolen from the bayfront area of Hilo. Residents helped police identify the woman as Morrison, 29, of Kurtistown.

On Aug. 24, Marilee Morrison and Kamalu Keawe, 32, were arrested in Mountain View after exiting another stolen vehicle. It was a 2005 Dodge Ram pickup truck that was stolen in the early hours of Aug. 21. Police determined that Keawe had been the driver of the Dodge.

During the investigation, police said they determined that Morrison had used the stolen Nissan to drive Keawe to the bayfront area to steal the Toyota Tacoma on Aug. 4.

After conferring with prosecutors, police charged Morrison with unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle and being an accomplice to second-degree theft. Her bail was set at $4,000. Keawe was charged with three counts of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle. His bail was set at $30,000.