Help arrived too late yesterday for a man trapped in a bedroom of a dilapidated four-room Pauoa Valley house gutted by fire. Victim of fatal Pauoa Valley
By Rod Ohira, Star-Bulletin
fire not yet identifiedFirefighters from the Nuuanu station responding to the 6:27 a.m. alarm at 235 Koalele St. found the man in a bedroom. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
"We know he was alive when the fire started because people heard him calling for help," said Fire Department investigator Arthur Brown, who estimated damage at $80,000 to the structure and $40,000 to contents.
Cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Brown said, "We're leaning toward electrical."
The medical examiner's office has not identified the man yet. Brown said the home "was like an open house for transients."
There appeared to be no evidence of foul play.
Police arrested a 21-year-old Salt Lake woman they described as the manager of a call-girl service that has been operating in Hawaii for six months to a year. Woman accused of managing
By Rod Ohira, Star-Bulletin
isle prostitution ringMore than 20 women were involved with the operation, which circulated a six-page tabloid newsletter in Waikiki.
The newsletter was printed in Japanese and English and listed numerous telephone numbers for clients to call.
"They advertised escort services, but most of the numbers led to one answering service," said Capt. Alvin Nishimura of the Narcotics/Vice Division.
That location was Room 221 at 655 Keeaumoku St., where police executed a search warrant Saturday night at 9:20 p.m. and recovered $10,000 cash and records.
The raid was the product of an on-going investigation that started because of complaints about the tabloid circulation, Nishimura said.
"We were able to infiltrate the operation and gather evidence," Nishimura added.
Police also searched the woman's Ala Napuaa Place apartment.
She was booked for second-degree promotion of prostitution and illegal ownership of a business, police said.
The woman also may face drug charges for allegedly setting up a buy for an undercover officer, Nishimura said.
Police are also concerned that the prostitution operation here has ties to Las Vegas. "We think the head of the operation is in Las Vegas," Nishimura said.
Actor pleads not guilty in sexual assault case
A local actor and theater director pleaded not guilty today to changes that he used a stun gun to rob and sexually assault three women.Gary L. Anderson, 44, of Kaneohe was indicted last week on 10 counts of first-degree sexual assault, two counts of attempted first-degree sexual assault, two counts of third-degree sexual assault and one count of second-degree robbery.
Police have accused Anderson of being the "stun-gun rapist," a man who allegedly zapped prostitutes with a stun gun, raped them and robbed them. Trial is set for the week of March 23.
Anderson is co-founder of the theater group ASATAD, which stands for All Singing! All Talking! All Dancing!
Reappointment of parole chief held up by inquiry
Hawaii Paroling Authority Chairman Alfred Beaver's reappointment is being held up by the governor's office until an investigation is completed.The investigation was prompted by complaints from his staff.
Beaver said he requested an investigation by the Department of Public Safety's internal affairs division so an independent third party can review the allegations made against him.
He said staffers also detailed their allegations in a letter to the governor.
Gov. Ben Cayetano's spokeswoman, Kathleen Racuya-Markrich, said the matter was referred to the attorney general's office.
Staffers also accused Beaver of giving favorable treatment to the son of a union official.
Beaver, who said the allegations are being made by disgruntled staffers, said he moved up a hearing date so the man could keep his job. He said he also recused himself from voting.
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Police/Fire
By Star-Bulletin staffTeen charged in attack, robbery of woman, 50
Police have charged a 16-year-old boy with attempted second-degree murder and first-degree burglary for an attack on a woman in her Amana Street apartment last October.The woman, 50, answered a knock at her front door at about 11 p.m. and was allegedly struck several times about the head and arm with a hammer-like object, police said.
The suspect, who was located and arrested Friday, allegedly stole shoes from the woman.
The boy was charged as a juvenile, police said.
Young woman suspected of forgery to buy tickets
Charges are pending against a 19-year-old woman who was arrested yesterday at Ala Moana Center for forgery after allegedly writing a $1,485 check to purchase interisland airline coupon books.The woman told police she found the checks at Pearlridge Center.
The suspect intended to sell the airline tickets to pay personal bills, said police.
Five arrested in theft of cars from Acura lot
Four juveniles and an adult were arrested by police over the weekend for the theft Friday of four late-model cars worth about $67,500 from the lot of Pflueger Acura at 1450 S. Beretania St., police said.The cars were recovered undamaged in Waianae and Ewa Beach.
Visitor rescued after falling off small boat
WAILUKU -- A 45-year-old Michigan visitor was in the ocean for more than an hour after falling off a small sail craft about a mile off the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort in west Maui yesterday.The man fell while riding with his wife and a boat operator who was an employee of a sailing rental business, Assistant Fire Chief Clayton Ishikawa said.
Once the operator righted the craft, he and the wife looked for the man but were unable to find him and returned to shore. The operator returned in a motorized inflatable boat, and searched before he called county fire rescue officials at 12:38 p.m., Ishikawa said.
A policeman at the Hyatt using binoculars saw the man in the water about 200 yards from shore.
He was picked up by a fishing vessel at about 1:40 p.m. and dropped off in waters near the Hyatt, Ishikawa said.
Big Isle woman dies after car is rear-ended
KAILUA-KONA -- A Kona woman died yesterday after her car was struck from behind and forced into the path of an oncoming car on Mamalahoa Highway, police said.The victim was identified as Mary Gschweng, 38, of Kailua-Kona. Her children, Shawn, 8, and Sarah, 3, were treated at Kona Hospital and released.
The driver of the car that hit her from behind, John Gokey, 37, of Kailua-Kona, and his three children, were not injured.
Grant Kaku, 35, of Honokaa, driver of the pickup truck that struck Gschweng from the front, was listed in satisfactory condition at Kona Hospital.
Woman with knife sought in robbery of bakery
A woman armed with a knife robbed Kapiolani Bakery of an undisclosed amount of cash. The woman fled in a car that had its license plates removed, police said.
In other news...
HILO -- Police seized more than 21/2 pounds of cocaine and suspected cocaine in a major drug bust Friday night, they said.
Police also recovered 50.4 grams of black tar heroin and 23 grams of marijuana.
Ismael Apatiga-Almazon, 49, and his wife, Florina, 45, were charged with various drug offenses Saturday, police said. Apatiga-Almazon is being held on $300,000 bail. The wife is being held on $200,000 bail.
Two others were arrested but released pending investigation.
Firefighters limited damage to $50,000, saving $200,000 worth of property, they said.
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