MidWeek helps find 4 fugitives
Tips lead to police finding two accused of identity theft, while two more surrender
Honolulu police arrested four identity theft fugitives just a day after they were featured on the front page of MidWeek on Monday.
CrimeStoppers officials said tips from callers came in fast and furious after readers saw the fugitive mug shots on the MidWeek cover.
By the next day, information from CrimeStoppers had led police to the location of two fugitives, while two other fugitives surrendered.
"We got a lot of tips," said CrimeStoppers coordinator Kim Capllonch. "And those that we don't have in custody yet, we're working on tips for them, too."
The four who were captured were identified as Magdaleno U. Taca Jr., 27, Edward Allen Bermudez, 31, Jerome Kanalulu, 29, and Ronnie M. Dabalos, 33.
Officers arrested Bermudez at Ala Moana Beach Park at 8 a.m. and Kanalulu at Kailua Beach Park at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. Both Taca and Dabalos turned themselves in to the Kailua and Pearl City police stations respectively that morning.
Bermudez, Kanalulu and Taca were wanted on warrants for cases involving the theft and/or forgery of checks. Dabalos was wanted on a probation revocation warrant after being convicted of purchasing items using a stolen credit card in 2002.
"It's great news any time we can help the community get these people off the streets," MidWeek Publisher Ron Nagasawa said. "The real heroes are our readers because they're the ones who actually call CrimeStoppers, and that's needed for the capture."
MidWeek, which is owned by the same parent company as the Star-Bulletin, has been publishing the most-wanted lists for 10 years.
Police are still looking for eight more identity theft fugitives who were also a part of the MidWeek article, including Connie Bedingfield, 48, Arnold Kamaile, 48, Bridget Kamalii, 45, Cher Murillo, 26, Cynthia Reed, 41, Christopher Villucci, 38, Mark Tanibe, 29, and Thomas Kainui Wong, 38.
Anyone with information about these fugitives or other cases is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or by dialing *CRIME on a cellular phone.
