A preliminary hearing is scheduled today for a 35-year-old Keaau man accused of stealing a 50-foot vessel from Kailua Bay on Saturday.
Jason Michael Fujioka is charged with first-degree theft, unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle and violating Gov. David Ige’s stay-at-home emergency order after Kalani Nakoa called police to report the Noa Noa sailing catamaran stolen.
The Noa Noa was located traveling in waters off Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole when the vessel’s owner, assisted by another private vessel, were able to stop it in the area of OTEC. The suspect at the helm of the stolen vessel was “detained” and brought to Honokohau Small Boat Harbor.
There, officers with the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) arrested Fujioka.
Fujioka was subsequently taken to the Kealakehe Police Station where he was booked and charged with the three offenses. Bail was set at $8,000 pending an initial court appearance that took place on Monday.
During the hearing, Deputy Public Defender David Saiki requested a reduction in bail or supervised release for Fujioka. Prosecutors objected to the move. Kona District Court Judge Margaret Masunaga ultimately reduced bail to $1,000.
A preliminary hearing, during which prosecutors must show they have probable cause to support the charges, is scheduled for this morning.