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Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff and wire service
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Expect high holiday surf
The out-of-season south swell is fading, but high surf is expected on the north shores through Christmas Day from a series of storms north of Hawaii.
A high-surf advisory is in effect today for north- and west-facing shores of all islands.
Surf along north-facing shores is expected to reach heights of 18 to 24 feet, and surf along west-facing shores is predicted to reach 10 to 18 feet.
Colorado storm cancels at least 2 isle flights
Two United Airlines flights were canceled to and from Denver after a major snowstorm in Colorado yesterday, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Flight No. 9793 to Denver was originally scheduled to leave Honolulu Airport at 11:15 last night. Another United Airlines flight will replace the canceled flight and stop over in San Francisco before heading to Denver, said Scott Ishikawa, spokesman of the Department of Transportation.
Flight No. 43 that was to arrive in Honolulu at 9:11 a.m. today from Denver was also canceled.
Ishikawa recommended that passengers call their respective airlines to check whether their flight is canceled.
Star-Bulletin staff and the Associated Press
THE GOOD NEIGHBOR FUND
Monetary gifts may be sent to:
Honolulu Star-Bulletin's
Good Neighbor Fund
c/o Helping Hands Hawaii
P.O. Box 17780
Honolulu, Hawaii 96817-0780
Clothing, household items and gifts can be donated at the Community Clearinghouse, 2100 Nimitz Highway.
You may also participate in the Adopt-A-Family program, in which businesses, employee groups, social clubs, families or individuals can help a specific family.
Call 440-3804 for information about the program or to arrange for pickup of large items.
SHINING STARS
Surfrider honors Cole, Sullivan, Schnitzer
The Oahu Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation presented its Fourth Annual John Kelly Environmental Achievement Awards to big-wave pioneer
Peter Cole, who received the Lifetime Achievement award;
Pancho Sullivan, the Professional Surfer award; and
Schnitzer Steel Hawaii Corp., the Most Environmentally Friendly Oahu-based company award.
Punahele Productions and Borders Music Group-Hawaii gave $30,000 to the Hawaii Chapter of the American Red Cross by donating a portion of the sales of Kealii Reichel's 12th-anniversary CD, "Kawaipunahele."
The record rainstorms earlier this year prompted the companies to raise the funds for flood relief. Nearly 6,000 CDs were sold as part of the effort, said Jim Linker, of Punahele.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs awarded $24,906 to assist athletes of Hawaiian ancestry at Special Olympics Hawaii competitions.
Hawaii Maoli, the nonprofit entity of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, received a $22,000 grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for a capacity-building project for the Ko'olaupoko club.
"Shining Stars" runs Monday through Thursday.
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Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff
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HONOLULU
Radio Shack robbery suspects sought
Police were looking for two men who robbed a Radio Shack in McCully at gunpoint Tuesday night.
Police said the men entered the store at 1712 S. King St. at about 10 p.m. and robbed the employee of cash while brandishing a gun.
One suspect was described as in his 20s, 5 feet 8 inches tall, 140 pounds with a slim build. The other suspect was described as also in his 20s, 5 feet 8 inches tall, 180 pounds with an average build.
Police arrest man, 18, after traffic accident
Police arrested an 18-year-old man who allegedly assaulted another man after a traffic incident.
Police said the suspect got out of his car and reached into another car and assaulted a 19-year-old man after the traffic incident at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The victim was taken to the Queen's Medical Center for treatment, police said. His condition was not available.
Police arrested the suspect for investigation of second-degree assault and unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle.
27-year-old charged in weapon violations
Police charged a 27-year-old man with multiple crimes relating to two separate assault and threatening incidents involving weapons on Sunday.
Police said Jeanpierre Genest threatened a 35-year-old man with a weapon and damaged his car in Chinatown at about 1:25 p.m. Sunday.
Officers also found credit cards and other personal information belonging to another person on him, police said.
Police also connected Genest to an incident earlier that day near Ala Moana in which two men, ages 44 and 62, were assaulted with a weapon.
Police charged Genest with first-degree terroristic threatening, two counts of second-degree assault, third-degree criminal property damage, two counts of unauthorized possession of personal and confidential information, and second-degree escape.
Police said that after his arrest, Genest was taken to the Queen's Medical Center for treatment and tried to escape. His bail has been set at $50,000.
Forged check leads to arrest of woman
Police arrested a 23-year-old Manoa woman who allegedly tried to cash a forged check.
Police said the woman went into the Kapalama branch of Central Pacific Bank, 1535 Dillingham Blvd., at about 4:50 p.m. Tuesday and tried to cash the check. Bank personnel checked with the business that owned the check and were told that the check was counterfeit, police said.
LEEWARD OAHU
Man allegedly strikes ex-girlfriend in face
Police arrested a 42-year-old man who allegedly walked into his ex-girlfriend's home and punched her.
Police said the man and the 37-year-old ex-girlfriend have three children together but do not live together.
At about 2 p.m. Tuesday, the man walked into the ex-girlfriend's Waianae home, after being asked not to, and punched her in the face, police said.
The suspect was found later at his Waipahu home and arrested for investigation of first-degree burglary.
Police investigate missing holiday gifts
Police are investigating the alleged theft of Christmas presents and other property from a Waianae home yesterday.
Police said a 21-year-old woman allegedly entered the two-story home of a 51-year-old Waianae woman at about 7:20 a.m. yesterday through the front door. The resident noticed the young woman standing in her bedroom.
A tenant living in the house followed the 21-year-old out of the house.
The resident found Christmas presents opened and moved, and property taken, police said.
Police arrested the suspect on suspicion of first-degree burglary after a positive identification was made.
The stolen items were not recovered, police said.
Police look for armed robbery suspect
Police were looking for a man armed with a gun who tried to rob a deliveryman Tuesday in the Waipio industrial area.
Police said the 33-year-old victim, who works for Hawaii Food Products Inc. at 04-403 Ukee St., was approached by the suspect at about 8 a.m. and ordered to give up his personal property.
The victim refused and ran away, police said. The suspect then fled. No further information was available.
NORTH SHORE
Empty parachute no cause for alarm
Emergency personnel received reports of a downed parachutist in the water near Dillingham Airport after 12 p.m. yesterday, but confirmed only an abandoned parachute had landed in the water, said Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Kenison Tejada.
During a tandem sky-diving jump, the sky divers jettisoned the chute after experiencing a problem and used a reserve chute to land safely, said a person answering the phone at Pacific Skydiving Center.
BREAKING
Thief KO's boy while stealing his iPod
Police were looking for a male suspect suspect who robbed a juvenile of his iPod yesterday.
Police said the victim told them he was hit from behind at about 4:40 p.m. along Ala Ilima Street in Salt Lake. The suspect then took the boy's iPod, police said.
The boy was knocked unconscious and taken to the Queen's Medical Center for treatment.
[ THE COURTS ]
Alleged seal beheader wins motion in court
LIHUE » A Kauai judge threw out parts of the confession of accused monk seal beheader Justin Freemon yesterday, and will decide in January whether the rest of the evidence will be thrown out as well.
Freemon, 24, was accused in May of beheading a dead monk seal with a kitchen knife and burying the head at his campsite above Pilaa Beach.
But while questioning Freemon, federal and state law enforcement officials never warned him to remain silent even after he blurted out, "OK, OK, I did it, I did it, I cut off his head," they testified yesterday.
Freemon later showed the officers where the head was buried and gave them the knife.
Judge Trudy Senda said yesterday that Freemon should have been warned of his Miranda rights directly after the statement, and that any evidence obtained after that would be suppressed at trial.
Paul Newman, law enforcement officer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Division, said he was more concerned about getting the head back.
Prosecutors argued that Newman and state Department of Land and Natural Resources officers still would have found the knife and the head, given time to search Freemon's campsite.
Senda said she would rule on that argument Jan. 9.
Freemon is charged with violating the state Endangered Species Act, a misdemeanor that could carry a $50,000 fine and a year in jail if he is convicted.
No trial date has been set.
Suspect pleads guilty in hit-and-run fatality
A man accused of striking and killing a female pedestrian in Iwilei and fleeing the scene has pleaded guilty to negligently causing her death.
Jatios Jatios, 21, entered his guilty plea yesterday before Circuit Judge Karl Sakamoto to causing an accident that involved death and serious bodily injury, and second-degree negligent homicide.
Deputy prosecutor Wayne Tashima said they will be seeking an open term of imprisonment of 10 years and five years, respectively, when Jatios is sentenced March 28.
According to police, Betty Santiago, 86, of Wahiawa was struck as she crossed Nimitz Highway in a crosswalk near the Iwilei Kmart on Jan. 17. Jatios apparently hit her as he swerved to avoid cars that had stopped to allow her to cross. The car he was believed to have been driving was found later in Waipahu.
Jatios turned himself in to police two days after the incident after police issued a plea to the driver to turn himself in.
Jatios and his attorney could not be reached for comment.
Killer of Navy SEAL gets 10 years in prison
GREAT FALLS, Mont. » A Wolf Point man convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the stabbing death of a Navy SEAL who was home on leave from Hawaii was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison.
Gerald L. Littlehead, 24, was found guilty during a two-day trial. U.S. District Judge Sam Haddon gave him prison time plus three years of supervised release in the death of Michael Bell, 22.
According to court records, Bell got into an argument with Littlehead and Littlehead's brother, David Zephier, on April 12 at a Wolf Point bar and threw a punch at Zephier.
Witnesses said Littlehead then came from behind and struck Bell four or five times, possibly with a knife. Another witness said Littlehead later showed up at her house and told her he had stabbed someone.
Bell was taken to the hospital in Wolf Point and then flown to a Billings hospital, where he died during surgery.
Star-Bulletin staff and the Associated Press