Hawaii Island police have arrested a Pahoa man in connection with the burglary of a residence in the Leilani Estates Subdivision, an area covered by an Emergency Proclamation declared by the Mayor’s Office within the residence as of May 3.
On Wednesday, the victim, a 66-year old man, told police that he and an acquaintance arrived at his Moku Street home to retrieve personal belongings when the victim encountered a man exiting the office of the residence. The victim discovered that the suspect had keys in his possession that were taken from the office.
At 12:03 p.m., the suspect, 29-year-old Alexandru Stingu-Dragomir, was arrested without incident after the victim and his acquaintance took the suspect to the police checkpoint at the Highway 130 and Leilani Avenue intersection.
Stingu-Dragomir will be held at the Hilo cellblock while detectives with the Area I Criminal Investigation Section continue the investigation that is classified as a burglary of a dwelling during an emergency period. Detectives have also linked the suspect to another residential burglary in Leilani Estates and are continuing that investigation as well.
Section 708-817 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes provides that if a person commits the offense of burglary of a dwelling during an emergency period proclaimed by the governor or mayor pursuant to chapter 127A and within the area covered by the emergency period, the offender is subject to a Class “A” felony, punishable by up to 20 years of incarceration.
Anyone who may have information about these incidents is asked to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311 or Detective William Brown of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at (808 ) 961-2384 or William.Brown@hawaiicounty.gov.