A judge has reduced bail for a 42-year-old Hilo man charged with numerous offenses after police arrested him allegedly sleeping in a stolen truck.
Hilo Circuit Judge Peter Kubota on Tuesday reduced the bail for Nathan Kalani Niihau from $95,000 to $50,000 over the objection of prosecutors, according to court minutes.
Niihau is charged with first-degree theft, unauthorized control of a stolen vehicle, second-degree burglary, habitual property crime, two counts each of unauthorized possession of confidential personal information and third-degree promotion of a dangerous degree, plus possession of drug paraphernalia.
Niihau was arrested shortly after 6 a.m. on Jan. 23 near the western dead-end of Nowelo Street in Hilo while sleeping in the driver’s seat of a white Ford F-150 pickup truck, according to court documents filed by police. It was determined that the truck is owned by the state and was allegedly stolen on Dec. 27 during a burglary at the Department of Agriculture’s baseyard at the corner of Kilauea Avenue and Lanikaula Street.
According to police, the vehicle was also used in the theft of an AMT from a gas station in Kailua-Kona on Jan. 1, though charges haven’t been filed in the case and the investigation is ongoing.
Police executed a search warrant on the truck and allegedly discovered 1.64 grams methamphetamine, 0.67 grams of heroin, the driver’s license of another man, and passport of a woman. The search of a backpack in the truck produced eight sets of keys allegedly taken from the base yard burglary plus two debit or credit cards with Niihau’s name.
Niihau — who, according to documents, has previous felony convictions — pleaded not guilty Tuesday to all charges.
Kubota ordered Niihau to return to court on Feb. 1 for further proceedings.
Niihau remains in custody in lieu of bail at Hawaii Community Correctional Center.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.