Newswatch Star-Bulletin staff and wire service

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Culling of Galapagos sharks OK'd

The state Board of Land and Natural Resources approved a plan yesterday to fish for and kill five Galapagos sharks this summer in the pristine Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

The culling of aggressive sharks is an effort to save Hawaiian monk seal pups, 143 of which have been attacked and killed by sharks at French Frigate Shoals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands over the past decade. There are an estimated 1,200 Hawaiian monk seals in the world.

Scientists who work to save the critically endangered seals were split over killing another native creature in the huge marine monument, said Dan Polhemus, administrator of the state Division of Aquatic Resources.

In the end, despite protest from conservation groups Kahea and Environmental Defense, the board approved the culling measure by a 6-1 vote. The board reduced the number of sharks to be killed this summer without further permission to five from an original request of 10.

The board also said no more than five hooks can be in the water at any one time and asked monument managers to continue to explore alternate ways to stop the sharks from preying on the young seals. Among methods mentioned is an experimental tag for seals that emits electric ions that sharks do not like.

Police setting up sobriety checks

Police will be cracking down on impaired drivers throughout the upcoming summer and holidays.

Checkpoints will be conducted starting this Memorial Day weekend and will continue throughout the summer until Labor Day weekend on Sept. 4. Of the 33 traffic-related deaths in 28 collisions so far this year, eight of the collisions were related to drugs or alcohol.

According to police, 1,242 impaired drivers have been arrested this year.

Water work to affect Kuulei Road

Repair work on a broken water main in Kailua is expected to slow traffic on Kuulei Road this morning, a Board of Water Supply news release said.

City work crews reported the leak at 7 a.m., and the 24-inch transmission main broke at 11:30 a.m., closing Kuulei Road in both directions between North Kainalu Drive and Maluniu Avenue.

The water main break was fronting the 7-Eleven store, near the Kailua police station.

No customers lost water during the repair.

Police, Fire, Courts Star-Bulletin staff

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HONOLULU

Alleged gunman appears in court

A 21-year-old Wahiawa man made his first appearance in Honolulu District Court yesterday, charged with the murder of a Sunset Beach man.

District Judge Leslie Hayashi confirmed bail at $1 million for Dustin Jiminez, who was charged Thursday with second-degree murder after witnesses identified him as the shooter.

Dillon Ching, 30, was shot in the back twice late Saturday in front of his Sunset Beach home. He apparently was trying to break up a fight between a group of people partying in front of his home and another group who were across Kamehameha Highway in an area known as Log Cabins.

The shirtless Jiminez, his chest, arms and back covered in tattoos, did not enter a plea. Hayashi ordered that he return Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.

Shoplifting suspect subdued in struggle

Police arrested an 18-year-old man who was allegedly caught shoplifting and then allegedly struggled with store security.

Police said that at about 8:41 p.m. Wednesday, the suspect was seen taking items from shelves at a retail store on Bougainville Drive near Radford High School.

Security personnel confronted the suspect and then subdued him after a struggle, police said. He was arrested on suspicion of second-degree robbery.

LEEWARD OAHU

Man, 20, charged in juvenile's rape

Police charged a 20-year-old man yesterday in connection with the rape of a juvenile girl in Waianae.

The alleged sexual assaults occurred between Christmas 2006 and Valentine’s Day 2007.

He was arrested Wednesday and has been charged with first-and third-degree sexual assault. He is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail.

Man is picked up in assault case

Police arrested a 21-year-old man in Waipahu yesterday on suspicion of assaulting another man with a knife and shooting a pellet gun at him.

The incident occurred on Aug. 18 when the suspect entered a 20-year-old man’s carport and confronted him with a knife, police said.

The men struggled and the younger man suffered a cut to his hand, police said. The suspect also threw a brick into the carport, damaging a bicycle, police said.

The suspect drove off and later returned and shot a pellet gun into the carport, police said.

Police arrested the suspect for investigation of second-degree assault, second-degree terroristic threatening and fourth-degree criminal property damage. He was also arrested on suspicion of unrelated drug charges.

Pair arrested in stolen vehicle

Police arrested a 21-year-old man and a juvenile boy yesterday after police caught them in a stolen car and allegedly carrying confidential personal information and drugs.

Police said that at about 3 p.m. officers stopped the boy who was allegedly driving the stolen vehicle in Waipahu. During the arrest, officers found confidential information and drug paraphernalia on him, police said.

The boy was arrested on suspicion of driving a stolen vehicle, possession of confidential information and drugs. Police did not disclose his age.

A passenger in the car, a 21-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of entering the stolen vehicle and drug possession.

NORTH SHORE

Police arrest boy driving stolen car

Police arrested a juvenile for alleged auto theft after he was seen driving a car without a safety sticker.

The boy, whose age is withheld by police, was seen driving the car at 4:47 p.m. yesterday in Haleiwa. Police learned that the car was reported stolen by a 36-year-old man. Officers then arrested the boy on suspicion of auto theft.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Flames destroy 2-story Puna home

Fire destroyed a two-story wooden house in the Eden Roc subdivision in Puna on the Big Island last night.

Fire crews were sent to Ohelo Street at 10:40 p.m. and found the house fully engulfed in flames, according to a news release.

Two vehicles at the house were also destroyed. No one was home. Damage estimates were not available and the cause of the fire is under investigation.