A 35-year-old Kailua-Kona man is facing an array of theft and drug offenses following a traffic stop last week in Ka‘u.
Around 11 a.m. Thursday, officers with the Hawaii Police Department’s Area II Criminal Investigations Section and Special Enforcement Unit located
Cory Dean Ruzicka was arrested Thursday after Hawaii Police Department Area II Criminal Investigation Section and Special Enforcement Unit officers found him around 11 a.m. in the area of Sea Breeze Parkway and Koa Lane in the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates subdivision.
Ruzicka, according to police, was wanted on an active arrest warrant for attempted unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle and criminal trespassing stemming from a Nov. 2 incident on Walua Road in Kailua-Kona. Upon noticing officers, Ruzicka reportedly fled on foot through a vacant lot and lava field and was observed discarding several bags.
After a foot pursuit, Ruzicka was taken into police custody, according to police who said they recovered “brass knuckles” and a glass smoking pipe with crystalline residue from Ruzicka’s person and the bags he discarded.
Subsequent to the service of search warrants upon Ruzicka’s bags and wallet, officers located additional narcotics to include 0.7 grams of methamphetamine, 7.5 grams of marijuana, and paraphernalia used for ingesting and injecting narcotics.
In addition, Ruzicka was arrested on several other criminal offenses that occurred on Nov. 2. Among them was unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle for the theft of a pickup truck that occurred at Coconut Grove Marketplace in Kailua-Kona, first-degree burglary and unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle relative to the theft of a Honda SUV from a residence on Walua Road in Kailua-Kona, and the theft of merchandise from a gas station on Mamalahoa Highway in Kealakekua.
Ruzicka was charged Friday with first-degree burglary, two counts of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, one count of attempted unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, resisting arrest, second-degree criminal trespassing, fourth-degree theft, third-degree promoting a dangerous drug, third-degree promoting a detrimental drug, deadly weapons prohibited, prohibited acts related to drug paraphernalia, and violation of conditions of supervised release.
Ruzicka’s bail was set at $74,250 pending an initial court appearance.