Hilo woman faces fruit theft charges

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A 49-year-old Hilo woman faces a felony charge for allegedly attempting to steal fruit from a lychee orchard.

At 8:20 a.m. Wednesday, Puna District officers responded to Railroad Avenue in Keaau, where a 60-year-old man reported that he had encountered a woman inside the fenced area of his orchard harvesting mature lychee without his permission.

Police arrested the woman, Andrarene Grammer, and recovered 40 pounds of harvested lychee valued at $180. Grammer was taken to the Hilo Police cellblock while police continued the investigation.

At 12:30 p.m., she was charged with second-degree theft, a class C felony. Her bail was set at $10,000. She remained at the cellblock pending her initial court appearance scheduled for today.