Big Island news – at a glance- for Friday, August 4, 2023
Police ID body found in ocean off HPP
Police have identified the body found in the ocean near the cliffs off Old Government Road in the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision on Sunday as that of 39-year-old Seth Kapiliokalani Waltjen of Hilo.
An autopsy was conducted Tuesday and the forensic pathologist ruled Waltjen’s death was consistent with drowning, and ruled out foul play.
However, final autopsy results are pending toxicology testing.
Waltjen was initially reported as a missing person on Sunday morning after he failed to return from opihi picking and diving on Saturday evening.
On Sunday afternoon, divers with the Hawaii Fire Department located Waltjen’s body in waters several hundred yards offshore.
Detectives are continuing this investigation, which is currently classified as a coroner’s inquest.
Anyone who may have information relative to this case is asked to call the police nonemergency number at (808) 935-3311 or Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.
State, feds team up to fight illegal robocalls
The Hawaii Department of the Attorney General and the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday announced a partnership to investigate illegal robocalling.
The partnership between the department and federal investigators “establishes critical information sharing and cooperation structures to investigate spoofing and robocalls scam campaigns,” according to a statement from the AG’s office.
“Robocalls are not only annoying and intrusive — they are a tool for scammers to commit serious financial harm,” said First Deputy Attorney General Matt Dvonch. “We welcome this new partnership with the FCC to better expand our reach and pool our resources in the fight against robocalls.”
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the FCC and Hawaii officials “share a common enemy: robocall scammers targeting consumers and businesses around the country.”
“My team’s commitment to protecting consumers fits hand-in-glove with state attorneys generals’ ongoing efforts to combat these scams. We share a goal — to protect consumers — and, with agreements like this, we can also share the tools needed to achieve it,” she said.
During probes into illegal robocalling, investigators in the state Department of the Attorney General and the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau seek records, talk to witnesses, interview targets, examine consumer complaints, and take other critical steps to build a record against possible bad actors, according to the statement.
One more COVID death reported for Hawaii County
One new death from COVID-19 was reported for Hawaii County this week by the state Department of Health.
The man was between the ages of 70 and 79. He was hospitalized and did have an underlying condition.
Since the pandemic began in 2020, the death toll for Hawaii County has reached 254 people.
The statewide death toll has climbed to 1,916 people since the start of the pandemic.
Statewide, the DOH reported five deaths over the last week.
The DOH reports deaths once they are provided the official cause of death, which in some cases can take weeks or even months to determine.
The latest variant report from the DOH released July 18 confirmed that the omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 remains the dominant strain throughout Hawaii County, accounting for 39% of all analyzed cases.
