KAILUA-KONA— You can run, but you can’t hide, so long as Officer Dustin Chaves is around.
Chaves was named Kona Crime Prevention Committee’s August officer of the month for his arrest of a woman in May that led to her pleading no contest to several charges. The Kona Patrol officer was honored during a luncheon held Wednesday at Huggo’s in Kailua-Kona.
The trouble began when Chaves and Officer Robert Ayau initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle on Henry Street, according to KCPC. They would later determine the driver was Elaine Nicole Abbott, also known as Elaine Hanato, 33, of Waimea.
“They did a felony car stop, which is not your normal traffic stop,” said Kona Patrol Capt. Randall Ishii.
Ishii said the stop included stopping their patrol cars to protect the officers from being struck by other vehicles and drawing their weapons.
At first the suspect appeared to obey instructions, but then sped off, Ishii said.
Both Chaves and Ayau returned to their cars and began pursuit, but then Abbott headed near Kealakehe Elementary School.
“The officers decided to pull back, which is the appropriate thing to do because of safety factors,” Ishii explained.
Other officers joined in and closed off possible escape roads. This support would be key in the arrest, Chaves told West Hawaii Today.
Chaves decided to search in the Lai Opua subdivision, accompanied by other officers, for Abbott and the vehicle. After finding the stolen car parked and unoccupied he made contact with a witness who told police the suspect was nearby. Chaves was also able to confirm Abbott’s identity.
After the suspect was identified, he approached her with a drawn firearm. Abbott didn’t resist and was taken into custody.
According to court records, she was charged with two counts of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, and one count each of resisting an order to stop, reckless driving and driving without a proper driver’s license.
Chaves extended thanks to his fellow officers for their role in taking Abbott into custody.
“Everything went so smoothly, all I had to do was arrest her,” he said. “There’s a lot to do with a felony arrest— search the car, process the evidence and so on.”
Ishii said Chaves did “really, really, really good work. He could’ve just stopped and given up.”
“It was definitely a scary incident. You don’t have to pull out your gun every day. You hope you don’t, you pray you don’t,” he said.
Abbott pleaded no contest to one of the unlawful control of a propelled vehicle charges on July 13, and was sentenced to a four-year deferral period and 60 days in jail.