A second man has been arrested in connection with a September break-in of vehicles in Kailua-Kona. The incident initially came to the attention of the victim because of a barking dog, according to the Hawaii Police Department. ADVERTISING A second
A second man has been arrested in connection with a September break-in of vehicles in Kailua-Kona. The incident initially came to the attention of the victim because of a barking dog, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
Big Island police arrested one man on Sept. 21, when the incident occurred, and had been searching for the second suspect, 32-year-old Sione Manu Maasi of Kailua-Kona, who was also wanted on unrelated warrants.
On Monday, Maasi turned himself in on the warrants. At that time, police also arrested him for the car break-ins.
Maasi was charged Monday with violating terms of release on bail, two counts of contempt of court and two counts of discharge of sureties. His bail on those offenses was set at $11,250 and he appeared in court Wednesday morning.
After court, Maasi was returned to the Kona police cellblock while detectives continued the investigation into the Sept. 21 incident. At 2 p.m. Wednesday, they charged him with promoting a dangerous drug, possessing drug paraphernalia and two counts of unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle. His bail on those offenses was set at $40,000. He remained at the cellblock until his court appearance on those charges Thursday.
The case began Sept. 21 when a 39-year-old Kailua-Kona man reported he heard his dog barking while he was working at his business on Alapa Street in the old industrial area of Kailua-Kona. He had looked out to see two men in the bed of his pickup truck rummaging through a tool box. When he approached them, they fled the area on foot with a case containing a hand drill. The victim later discovered that coins were missing from the truck and from a sport utility vehicle parked near it.
Later that day, police arrested 23-year-old Joshua Leiataua of Kailua-Kona. A search warrant on a backpack led to the recovery of crystal methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, according to police. On Sept. 24, Leiataua was charged with promoting a dangerous drug, possessing drug paraphernalia and two counts of unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle.
Investigation by Area II Criminal Investigations Section detectives led to Maasi’s identity, and the search for him began.
