Big Island police have arrested and charged a Ka‘u man for property crimes in connection with a burglary in Ocean View.
When Hawaii Police Department officers responded to a residential burglary on Catamaran Lane on Friday evening, the victim told police that in addition to the items taken from the home, the suspect also stole a pick-up truck that had been stored on the property.
The next day, around 3:30 p.m., police received a report of a man seen in the stolen truck, which was parked at a business establishment in Ocean View. Witnesses identified the suspect at the scene.
At 3:44 p.m., police arrested 26-year-old Benjamin Jerin-Kealoha of Ocean View without incident on suspicion of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle. Investigators determined that some of the items taken from the burglary were still within the truck.
Later Saturday, Jerin-Kealoha was charged with one count each of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, burglary of a dwelling during an emergency and first-degree theft. His bail was set at $17,000.
The truck and the recovered stolen items were returned to the victim, police said.
Anyone who may have information about this incident is asked to call the department’s nonemergency line at (808) 935-3311 or to contact Officer Melissa D’Angelo of the Ka‘u Patrol Division at (808) 939-2520.