A 53-year-old Hilo man arrested Saturday with four others for violating Gov. David Ige’s emergency proclamation was granted supervised released on Monday.
Gene S. Tamashiro appeared via video from the Keahuolu Courthouse cellblock on Monday morning before Kona District Court Judge Margaret Masunaga. After being advised of his rights, Public Defender Donna Davis motioned for release of Tamashiro on his own recognizance. Prosecutors requested supervised release.
Masunaga subsequently granted Tamashiro supervised release and ordered the Hilo man to appear for an entry of plea hearing on Sept. 28 in Kona.
Tamashiro was one of five people arrested Saturday after police received a report of a large gathering at Kahaluu Beach Park in Kailua-Kona. The gathering was for the Hawaii Health Summit, which gathered to discuss COVID-19 and other issues, including 5G.
The four others arrested were Stefanie Nolff, 48, of Keaau; Diane Fischer, 65, of Kailua-Kona; Melody Harris, 60, of Kailua-Kona; and Michaele Medearis, 53, of Holualoa. Those four posted $6,500 bail while Tamashiro remained behind bars in lieu of the same amount until Monday’s court appearance. No case details were available online as of press-time.
Each was charged by police with violating Ige’s emergency proclamation by gathering in a group of greater than 10, not wearing a mask and failing to maintain social distancing as well as failure to disperse.
At about 5 p.m. Saturday, the Hawaii Police Department said officers responded to the park to reportedly observe approximately 30 individuals within the large pavilion. In addition, no one was wearing masks or social distancing.
“Upon contact with these individuals, officers attempted to educate these parties on the most recent Governor’s Emergency Proclamation; however, they refused to listen or comply with the officers,” a press release from the department reads. “Officers then began to issue citations, where the crowd then became belligerent and hostile.”
Police said officers then requested additional units to their location. Once additional officers were on scene, they began arresting all individuals who were in violation of the emergency proclamation, therefore causing others to disperse.
Also this weekend, police in North Kohala arrested a 47-year-old Kurtistown man, a 37-year-old Hakalau woman and a 40-year-old Keaau women for violating Ige’s emergency proclamation.
According to police, Scott Alan Souza was arrested and charged for prohibited acts emergency management, Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 127A-29, after he refused to comply with Mayor Harry Kim’s Emergency Rule No. 11, which requires that all persons wear non-medical grade face coverings while in public settings.
Police said they contacted Souza at the Kapaau Police Station after observing his vehicle parked in a disabled parking stall without displaying disabled parking placard. During the interaction, police asked Souza multiple times to put on a face covering which he refused to do.
Souza was also arrested for driving without a license, refusal to provide identification and unsworn falsification to authorities. His bail was set at $3,025 pending an initial court appearance Monday in which he was granted supervised release. He is next due in court on Sept. 25.
On Sunday, Marie Fabienne Kerby, 40, and Rosalia Maria Bruner, 37, were arrested for prohibited acts emergency management after both women refused to comply with Emergency Rule No. 11.
Police contacted the women after responding to report that more than 10 people were gathered fronting a Hawi business and no one was wearing face coverings. Both women were released from custody after posting $2,000 bail. No case details were available online as of press-time.