Man apparently drowns in waters off Keahole
A 55-year-old California man apparently drowned Thursday night while diving in waters off the Kona coast.
The victim was identified as James Uihlein of Fallbrook, Calif., according to the Hawaii County Police Department. Uihlein was scuba diving off a commercial boat when he apparently became unresponsive shortly after 7 p.m.
Hawaii County Fire Department personnel responded at 7:12 p.m. and transported him to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:27 p.m. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.
Police searching for missing Hilo teenager
Hawaii Island police are searching for a 16-year-old Hilo girl who was reported missing.
Brianna Kehaulani Freitas-Jones was last seen Nov. 18 in Hilo, according to the Hawaii County Police Department. She is described as Caucasian, 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 130 pounds with green eyes and long brown hair.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts should call the department’s nonemergency line at 935-3311.
Those who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 329-8181 in Kona or 961-8300 in Hilo and be eligible for a reward up to $1,000. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
Man sentenced to prison for molesting two girls
A 70-year-old Ocean View man who molested two underage girls who attended a church where he had been a deacon was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison.
Third Circuit Court Chief Judge Ronald Ibarra handed down the sentence to Nicholas King Krivanek. In a plea deal with prosecutors, Krivanek pleaded guilty on Oct. 10 to 13 counts of third-degree sexual assault. In return for his plea, the state dropped two counts of continuous sexual assault of a minor younger than 14, a Class A felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Krivanek had been a deacon and a “youth mentor” — the latter an unofficial title — at Ocean View Evangelical Community Church. Krivanek was “removed” from those positions at the church in the remote Ka‘u community after “he confessed” to the church’s elders in 2011, Larry Fisher, who was secretary of the elders at that time, told Stephens Media Hawaii in June.
Fisher said Krivanek drove children to church activities that their parents couldn’t or didn’t want to provide transportation to. The white-haired and bearded Krivanek also played Santa Claus for church functions and for functions at the Ocean View Community Center.
Krivanek came to Hawaii from Moscow, Idaho.
IDs sought on attempted burglary suspects
Hawaii Island police are asking for the public’s help identifying two people captured on surveillance video during an attempted burglary at a fast-food restaurant in Hilo.
The attempted burglary occurred during the early morning hours of Oct. 8 at an eatery on the 200 block of Waianuenue Avenue, according to the Hawaii County Police Department. The suspects did not make entry but did damage a security screen door.
Anyone who knows the identity of the individuals in the photos should contact Detective Grant Todd at 961-2385 or gtodd@co.hawaii.hi.us.
Those who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 329-8181 in Kona or 961-8300 in Hilo and be eligible for a reward up to $1,000. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
Police arrest suspect in beating death
HONOLULU — Honolulu police have arrested an 18-year-old man in connection with the beating death of an 83-year-old man last week in Chinatown.
The suspect’s name was not immediately released by the police department.
Mamerto “Eddie” Semana was found injured Dec. 4. The homeless man had suffered head injuries and was unconscious on College Walk and Kukui Street.
Police said last week he had been assaulted four hours before an ambulance was summoned.
Semana was taken to a hospital. He died Dec. 5.
State defers action on Mauna Kea leases
The state Board of Land and Natural Resources deferred action on the University of Hawaii’s request for new leases on Mauna Kea on Friday.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Land and Natural Resources said the board chose to withhold a vote while UH conducts an environmental impact statement.
UH requested time to conduct an EIS in response to testimony from the Nov. 8 BLNR meeting, she said. It did not provide a timeline for how long that may take.
UH has two existing leases covering the Mauna Kea Science Reserve and Hale Pohaku Mid-Level Facilities.
They are set to expire in 2033 and 2041. The new leases UH has proposed would run through 2078.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources has recommended approval of the request but its Division of Historic Preservation and the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs had expressed reservations.
OHA has said it would like to see more environmental review before new leases are granted.
The board initially deferred action last month due to lack of a quorum.
UH officials made the request in order to help it negotiate subleases for current and future telescopes and meet management obligations provided by the state.
By local and wire sources