Kona man facing theft, auto theft charges

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A Kona man has been charged with three offenses after a truck was stolen earlier this month.

At 11:10 a.m. on June 14, a 61-year-old Kailua-Kona man reported that his pickup truck with an attached utility trailer had been stolen from an area near Hawaii Belt Road and the Makalei Golf Course, according to the Hawaii Police Department. Later that day, the victim located the truck about 2 miles away. Some items from within were reported as missing.

Police investigation led to the identity of a suspect, 25-year-old Christiansan Ikaika Kaawa of Kailua-Kona.

Kaawa was arrested at 3 a.m. Monday during a traffic stop on Ane Keohokalole Highway. He was taken to the Kona police cellblock while detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section continued the investigation.

During the investigation, detectives determined that Kaawa was also responsible for stealing an all-terrain vehicle that was reported stolen from Holualoa sometime between June 13 and June 15.

At 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, detectives charged him with second-degree theft and two counts of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle. His bail was set at $6,000 pending an initial court appearance slated for Wednesday.