A 23-year-old Kaʻu man is facing a host of charges stemming from crimes in Ka‘u and Kailua-Kona.
Jatty Daugherty, who was previously wanted on several outstanding bench warrants, was arrested Sept. 3 after officers with the Hawaii Police Department’s Area II Special Enforcement Unit spotted a vehicle they believed was used by a man suspected of breaking into a motor vehicle the day before within a parking lot of a retail business on Makala Boulevard in Kailua-Kona.
The officers followed the vehicle which stopped in a parking lot at the Honokohau Small Boat Harbor, according to a press release. The officers attempted to contact the operator of the vehicle who reportedly exited the vehicle and fled on foot. While the suspect was fleeing, officers observed him to drop an item. The item was recovered and was believed to have been stolen from the victim’s vehicle the day prior.
Officers were later able to apprehend the operator, who was identified as Daugherty. Daugherty along with a female occupant of the vehicle was taken into custody for suspicion of unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle. The female was later released from custody pending further investigations.
Detectives determined that the vehicle Daugherty was operating on Sept. 3 was removed from a residence on Lotus Blossom Lane in Ocean View. The owner of the residence also reported that a 17-foot boat was also removed from his property a few days prior.
Detectives were also able to determine that the credit cards belonging to the victim of the vehicle break-in were used at several businesses in the Kailua-Kona area. Daugherty was also suspected of those crimes.
On Sept. 4, a search warrant was executed upon the vehicle that Daugherty was operating. It reportedly turned up several items believed to have been removed from the vehicle break-in as well as 1 gram of methamphetamine and 1.8 grams of heroin.
Daugherty was charged with that day with two counts each of theft of a credit card, fraudulent use of a credit card, first-degree theft, and unauthorized possession of confidential personal information; and one count each of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle, first-degree criminal property damage, third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, and habitual property crimes. His bail was set at $180,000.
Police noted that the 17-foot boat was also recovered.