A man is in jail after being charged with stealing a state truck, two county jeeps and six ukuleles, the Hawaii Police Department said.
A man is in jail after being charged with stealing a state truck, two county jeeps and six ukuleles, the Hawaii Police Department said.
Blue Kela, 26, of Hilo, was arrested Wednesday after he was seen standing next to a white Dodge Dakota pickup truck that had been reported stolen earlier. The truck was taken from the Department of Agriculture that afternoon from state property on Lanikaula Street. According to the press release, the truck was rammed through a chain link fence to leave the property.
When police inspected the vehicle, they found it “had fraudulent license plates and visible marks that logos had been removed from the front doors,” according to the release. Kela was arrested at the scene.
After additional investigation, police linked Kela to the theft of two county Jeep Cherokees from parking lots on Aupuni Street in August.
Officers also said Kela stole six ukuleles from a downtown Hilo store after damaging a door and breaking into a building.
At 4:30 p.m. Sept. 4, he was charged with first-degree theft, second-degree theft, second-degree burglary, unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle, fraudulent use of license plates, two counts of criminal property damage and two counts of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle. His bail was set at $53,000.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday in Hilo District Court.