Serial rapist can't be paroled for 20 years
Thirteen years in a federal prison only made Toby Neal Hiatt, in the words of a prosecutor, a "better rapist."In 1981, Hiatt went on a violent spree against women, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Paul Wong said. Hiatt was accused of attacking six women and convicted of raping three of them. In 1995, 15 months after he was out on parole, he raped another.
For that crime, Circuit Judge Wendell Huddy yesterday sentenced him to life in prison with a minimum 13 years and four months to be served.
Hiatt, 39, is finishing more than six years left of a 20-year federal sentence, so he will serve a total of almost 20 years before becoming eligible for parole.
"He is in every sense of the word a serial rapist," said Wong.
"In 1995 he took the evidence - a condom, sheets, made her (victim) shower. He's become a better rapist."
Hiatt was convicted in November 1996 for raping a Makiki woman, 23, after he broke into her apartment.
HTY plans for own theater in Kakaako
After several years of discussions between the Hawaii Community Development Authority and the Honolulu Theatre for Youth, Gov. Cayetano has formally announced plans for a new stage complex in Kakaako.Cayetano made the announcement at HTY's annual "Le Masquerade" benefit Saturday.
The one-acre-plus site, which has been used to park garbage trucks, is adjacent to the Children's Discovery Center being constructed in the area.
"The first step has always been to get the land set aside, then you can start on serious design work and fund-raising," said Jane Campbell, HTY producing director. HTY hopes to have a 600-seat main stage, a smaller 200-seat laboratory theater, costume and scene shops and classrooms, she said.
The estimated cost in today's dollars, said Campbell, is $20 million, but fund-raising is still two to three years off, and construction can be incremental. "We're hoping that it will coincide with the expected turn-around in the economy," she said.
HTY presents plays to more than 140,000 children in the islands each year, and a central theater would take the strain off Leeward Community College Theater, McCoy Pavilion and Mamiya Theater, where productions are now presented. It also would provide a middle-size stage in downtown Honolulu, between the intimate Kumu Kahua Theater and the large Hawaii Theater.
Cayetano off on an official visit to Japan
Gov. Ben Cayetano was scheduled to arrive in Tokyo today along with Senate President Norman Mizuguchi and House Speaker Joseph Souki for talks with government officials and travel and business executives.The executives are attending the Japan-Hawaii Economic Council meeting and the Okinawa-Hawaii Conference sponsored by the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
"Our mission is to continue the momentum for economic change," Cayetano said.
"I plan to promote Hawaii as a vacation destination and a place to headquarter businesses in niche markets such as health care, higher education, high technology and telecommunications."
Cayetano is traveling as a guest of the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
After meeting with travel executives and government officials in Tokyo, Cayetano will travel to Sendai City on Friday for the 26th General Meeting of the Japan-Hawaii Economic Council.
He is scheduled to speak Saturday on Hawaii's business climate and outlook.
On Okinawa, Cayetano will meet with Gov. Masahide Ota and address the Okinawa-Hawaii Conference with Seji Naya, director of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
Cayetano is also scheduled to meet with Osaka Gov. Knock Yokoyama before returning to Hawaii next Wednesday.
Five isle underground fuel-storage tanks generate EPA fines
Five underground fuel-storage tanks in Hawaii, including one owned by the state Transportation Department, have been cited by the Environmental Protection Agency for violating federal regulations.The agency issued the owners $3,400 in fines after conducting leak-detection compliance inspections with the state Health Department in September.
The five facilities, which had a total of 15 violations, are Pahoa Gas & Go on the Big Island, Lihue Shell Service on Kauai, the Lihue Airport fire-training area, Commercial Shelving Inc. on Oahu and the Honolulu Soaring Club's fuel facility at Dillingham Air Field.
The state Airport Division was fined $150 for failing to install overfill-prevention monitoring equipment in a new tank at the airport and $300 for inadequate operation or maintenance of a monitoring device in another tank, according to an official.
Violations at other sites included failing to test tanks and fuel lines for leaks and not complying with financial-responsibility requirements.
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Police/Fire
By Star-Bulletin staffKuliouou man arrested on sexual-assault charge
Police arrested a 56-year-old man for allegedly luring a 15-year-old Hawaii Kai girl into his apartment and then sexually assaulting her.The incident happened yesterday between 4 and 4:30 p.m. at the suspect's Kuliouou apartment, police said.
He was arrested several hours later in connection with first-degree sexual assault.
Police charge Maili man with burglary, auto theft
Police charged a Maili man today with two burglaries and an auto theft.Aaron Bello, 23, was arrested yesterday after allegedly burglarizing a Waianae home and then stealing a vehicle on Sunday.
Upon police questioning, he confessed to a Sept. 19 burglary in Waianae, police said. He punched and kicked a 56-year-old woman in ther head as he burglarized her home, police said.
He was charged with auto theft, parole violations and two counts of burglary.
His total bail is set at $95,000.
Big Island police seize 2,135 marijuana plants
KAILUA-KONA -- Police seized 2,135 marijuana plants during the first day of an eradication operation in the North Kona District yesterday, they said.The seizures follow the destruction of 26,226 plants in east Hawaii last week.
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