Na‘alehu man charged in connection with burglaries, vehicle thefts

Kevin Galigo of Na‘alehu
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Hawaii Island police have arrested a 30-year-old Ka‘u man for several offenses in connection with property crimes, including the theft of three vehicles that occurred in Na‘alehu.

Responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle in the Mark Twain Subdivision at 9:43 a.m. Saturday, Hawaii Police Department officers contacted a man sitting in a Toyota sedan parked near the intersection of Palaoa Road and Holowai Street, according to a media release from the department issued Wednesday morning. Upon determining that the sedan was reported stolen two days prior, on Jan. 21, from the subdivision, police arrested the driver, Kevin Galigo of Na‘alehu, on suspicion of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle.

While in police custody, detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigation Section determined that items in Galigo’s possession at the time of his arrest were previously taken from two separate residential properties on Kama‘oa Road, according to police. He was also identified as the suspect in two additional vehicle thefts. All of the thefts occurred between Jan. 15 and Saturday in Na‘alehu.

On Saturday evening, police charged Galigo with three counts of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, one count of second-degree burglary, and two counts of fourth-degree theft. His bail was set at $42,000 and was transported to the Kona cell block pending his initial appearance in District Court on Monday where he was granted supervised release.

Anyone who may have information about these incidents is asked to call the department’s nonemergency line at (808) 935-3311 or Detective Donovan Kohara of the Area II Criminal Investigation Section at phone (808) 326-4646, ext. 238, or via email to Donovan.Kohara@hawaiicounty.gov.