The mother of a missing, abused 6-year-old boy was charged Thursday in an unrelated welfare fraud investigation.
At 4 p.m. today, 45-year-old Jaylin M. Kema of Pahoa was charged with second-degree theft. Her bail was set at $5,000. She is scheduled make her initial court appearance on Friday.
Both she and her husband, 45-year-old Peter J. Kema Sr. of Pahoa, remain at the Hilo police cellblock while detectives continue to investigate possible drug and firearms charges as the result of items found at their Ainaloa subdivision home during the execution of a search warrant on Tuesday.
They are the parents of Peter Kema Jr., whose disappearance in 1997 set off a media firestorm. The boy has never been found. Police and prosecutors are investigatating the case as a murder and the parents are the only suspects but, to date, no charges have been filed.