Police say a Kona rancher chased down a man suspected of burglarizing his barn Sunday and detained him for police after receiving leads over social media.
Christopher Allen Wright, 52, who police say has no permanent address but receives his mail in Honokaa, was charged with 21 offenses related to the alleged burglary of the barn off Henry Street in Kailua-Kona.
His bail was set at $129,000.
A police mugshot of Wright shows what appears to be numerous lacerations and a bandage on his face.
“It has nothing to do with his apprehension by (police),” police Lt. Gerald Wike of Kona Criminal Investigations Section said Wednesday about Wright’s apparent facial injuries.
Asked if the injuries were inflicted by the reported burglary victim who held Wright for police, Wike replied, “There’s no complaints against the person detaining him for police.”
Police say officers responded Sunday to the 3:30 p.m. report of the barn burglary. A 38-year-old man reported two all-terrain vehicles, a large machete and other items had been stolen.
At 6:30 p.m. Sunday, one of the ATVs was found abandoned on Konalani Street in the Queen Liliuokalani subdivision. Police recovered the ATV and some of the other items reported stolen in the burglary.
The victim posted information about the burglary on social media and received tips that an ATV was seen being loaded onto a trailer attached to a silver Chevrolet Trailblazer at the Kona Crossroads Shopping Center off Henry Street.
Police say the victim reported at 8:30 p.m. Sunday he was following a silver sport utility vehicle pulling a trailer holding the second stolen ATV. The man reportedly honked at the SUV and tried to wave the driver over to stop. The SUV driver then reportedly pulled to the side of the road, jumped out while the SUV was still moving and ran into an old lava field off Mamalahoa Highway (Route 190).
The unoccupied SUV crossed the centerline and crashed into a guardrail near the Maui scenic lookout. The victim chased the suspect into the lava field and was able to hold him until police arrived and arrested the man, identified as Wright.
The second stolen ATV and other stolen items from the trailer were reportedly recovered at the scene.
Wright was taken to the Kona police cellblock while detectives obtained a search warrant on the SUV, where they reportedly recovered the machete, additional items stolen from the barn, methamphetamine, marijuana and paraphernalia associated with illegal drug use.
Wright was charged Tuesday with with second-degree theft theft, criminal property damage, inattention to driving, leaving the scene of an accident, two counts of possessing confidential personal information, five counts of promoting a dangerous drug, six counts of marijuana possession and four counts of possessing drug paraphernalia.
Wike said the confidential personal information was unrelated to the barn burglary.
“We’re still looking into that,” he said.
Wright made his initial appearance Wednesday in Kona District Court, where his bail was maintained and he was ordered to return at 10 a.m. today for a preliminary hearing.
Police ask anyone with any information on the burglary to contact Detective Roylen Valera at 326-4646, ext. 268, or rvalera@co.hawaii.hi.us. Tipsters can also call the police non-emergency line at 935-3311 or Crime Stoppers at 961-8300.
“We have cases we are still investigating, the burglary itself, and we’re definitely asking the public, if anybody witnessed the ATV being loaded onto the trailer, being towed by this SUV, or if they have any information on this crime, we would defintely love to hear from them,” Wike said.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com