Car break-in incident results in numerous charges for Kona men

Two Kailua-Kona men are each facing more than a dozen charges stemming from a incident Friday evening in the parking lot of a Kona shopping center.

About 8:05 p.m. Friday, Kona Patrol officers responded to the parking lot of a business establishment in the 75-1000 block of Henry Street for a report of two men breaking into a car, according to the Hawaii Police Department. The victim reported he had confronted the suspects at which time one of the men aggressively approached the victim holding a set of channel lock-pliers and was making threats.

As officers arrived, the men suspected of attempted to break into the vehicle fled in a SUV, exiting the parking lot and heading west on Henry Street. A short time later the vehicle was involved in a traffic accident causing injuries that required hospitalization to two juveniles that were located within the SUV that fled the scene.

Police subsequently took into custody 32-year-old Benedict Taketa and 28-year-old Luke Kaniaupio while detectives continued the investigation.

Taketa was charged later with first-degree unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle, second-degree terroristic threatening, reckless driving, reckless endangering, fourth-degree theft, resisting an order to stop, second-degree assault, four counts of third-degree assault, three counts of first-degree terroristic threatening and two counts of second-degree criminal property damage. Bail was set at $124,000.

Kaniaupio was charged with driving without a license, reckless driving, reckless endangering, unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle, fourth-degree theft, resisting an order to stop, second-degree assault, four counts of third-degree assault, three counts of first-degree terroristic threatening and two counts of second-degree criminal property damage. His bail was also set at $124,000.

Anyone who may have information regarding this incident should call Detective Carrie Akina at (808) 326-4646, ext. 277, or the department’s nonemergency line at (808) 935-3311.