A Hilo man was arrested after allegedly being found passed out in a stolen car.
Police responded to a parked sedan in the roadway of Road C in the Hawaii Acres subdivision in Puna. Officers found the driver, Jantzen-James Mata, 30, passed out in the driver’s seat with drug paraphernalia in the seat next to him, according to a press release.
Investigation showed the car had been stolen from Hilo on Saturday, police said.
He was taken to the Hilo police cellblock as investigators continued their work, police said. They found he was a “possible suspect” in the theft of a sports utility vehicle from Kurtistown on June 28.
At 6:13 p.m. Tuesday, Mata was charged with second-degree theft, unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, promoting a dangerous drug and possessing drug paraphernalia. His bail was set at $40,000.