Hawaii Island police have charged 21-year-old Kawelo Nakamura in connection with the theft of a county mass transit bus.
Police located the bus Saturday on Route 130 and was able to stop it near the intersection at Kaohuwalu Street in Pahoa, at which time officers arrested Nakamura who was its operator.
Police charged Nakamura today with first degree theft, accident involving vehicle/property damage, first degree criminal property damage, unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle and driving without a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
Nakamura is being held at the Hilo cellblock in lieu of $13,000 bail pending his initial appearance in South Hilo district court Tuesday.
Police in itially responded to a 1:47 p.m., report Saturday, of a hit-and-run traffic accident on Railroad Avenue in Hilo involving a Hawaii County mass transit bus that fled the scene. No one was injured in that incident. At 2:36 p.m., police were informed that the bus was stolen from the County’s Hilo base-yard sometime early Saturday morning.
Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or have any other information about it is asked to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311 or Detective Tuckloy Aurello of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2385 or Tuckloy.Aurello@hawaiicounty.gov.
Those who prefer to remain anonymous may call the island-wide Crime Stoppers number at (808) 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.