Preliminary hearing set for accused purse thief

A preliminary hearing has been set for a 34-year-old Waimea man accused of stealing a woman’s purse and fraudulently using her credit cards.

Conrad Keahi Oandasan made his initial court appearance Wednesday morning before Kona District Court Judge Margaret Masunaga.

After being advised of his rights, a preliminary hearing, during which the state must show it has probable cause to support the charges, was set for March 31 in South Kohala.

The judge also ruled in favor of a defense request to have Oandasan released on his own recognizance. Police had set bail on Tuesday at $9,500 pending the initial appearance.

Oandasan is charged with third-degree theft, two counts of fraudulent use credit card, two counts of unauthorized possession of personal confidential information, and two counts of theft of credit card in connection with the alleged incident Saturday night at a South Kohala resort function.

Shortly before 10 p.m. that night, South Kohala Patrol officers were sent to the Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, on North Kaniku Drive where a woman reported that her purse and its contents had been stolen while she attended a function on the resort grounds, according to the Hawaii Police Department.

Further investigation revealed that the woman’s credit cards were fraudulently used at a business in Kona and Oandasan was identified as a suspect. He was subsequently arrested and charged on Tuesday.