Newswatch Star-Bulletin staff and wire service

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8 units battle warehouse fire

Eight fire units extinguished a two-alarm fire last night in a moving and storage warehouse in Campbell Industrial Park.

The fire started in packing materials in a one-story metal warehouse at Aloha International Moving Service, 91-291C Kalaeloa Blvd., and was under control by 10:05 p.m., said fire spokesman Capt. Terry Seelig. The fire was reported at 9:05 p.m. No personal items in storage were damaged, fire officials said.

Man guilty of enticing child

A Circuit Court jury has found a Kapolei man guilty of soliciting sex from an child on the Internet.

Earnest L. Roberts, 46, was convicted Monday of electronic enticement of a child in the first degree and must now register as a sex offender. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison when sentenced Dec. 28.

Under a new sentencing law passed in July 2006, he faces a minimum sentence of five years' probation with one year in jail as a condition.

Roberts was arrested June 30 when he showed up at a prearranged meeting place allegedly to have sex with a girl whom he met on the Internet.

He is the second individual in the state convicted by a jury of electronic enticement of a child.

Contractor admits bidding scam

A contractor admitted he fraudulently obtained repair jobs at the Honolulu Airport by bypassing state procurement procedures for contracts under $25,000.

Walter Y. Arakaki, 68, president of Walter Y. Arakaki, General Contractor Inc., pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to one count of mail fraud for payments he received for work at the Honolulu Airport fireboat house in 1999.

Arakaki said he submitted bids for the job and complied when asked to submit two additional bids higher than his to ensure his company got the contract.

Small-purchase contracts for projects under $25,000 require the state to get three bids from contractors, with the contract going to the lowest bidder.

"My bid was more, so add two more bids above that so the state no have to go out and get their bids and make their job easier," Arakaki explained to U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Shipley said that had the case gone to trial, the government would have produced evidence that Arakaki obtained three contracts for jobs just under $25,000 through a prohibited practice referred to as "parceling." Parceling involves dividing up a larger contract into smaller contracts each less than $25,000 to avoid the more formal sealed bidding process.

Arakaki will be sentenced April 7 and faces a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment.

Arakaki is the last of five men indicted in U.S. District Court following a joint state and federal investigation into contract fraud.

Consumers alerted over pot pies

If frozen pot pie is what's for supper tonight, the state Department of Health suggests that consumers check the label.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture yesterday issued a health alert advising that a batch of pot pies made by ConAgra has been associated with an outbreak of salmonella in 30 states. The meat pies sold under the Banquet brand and store brands contain "P9" in the identification code on each box.

There have been no reports of salmonella in Hawaii associated with the pot pies, said a health department announcement.

The product has not been recalled. The federal Food Safety and Inspection Service and ConAgra suggest the problem arose because consumers undercooked the pot pies, according to the health alert.

Boat spots humpback off Lanai

WAILUKU » A humpback whale was sighted by a crew member aboard the vessel Lanakila -- the first sighting of the 2007-08 season, according to the Pacific Whale Foundation.

Audrey Hockman, a partner of the Lanakila, said the sighting was made off north Lanai yesterday.

Some humpback whales have been sighted in early October in past years but the largest number of whale sightings occur during February and March, according to the Pacific Whale Foundation, a nonprofit group that promotes education about humpback whales. The foundation said Hawaii is the nation's primary mating and calving grounds for the endangered humpback whale.

Police, Fire, Courts Star-Bulletin staff

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LEEWARD OAHU

Machete allegedly used during attack

Police were looking for a 36-year-old man who allegedly tried to kill another man with a machete Monday night.

Police said that about 9 p.m., the suspect and a 31-year-old man were arguing at Oneula Beach Park in Ewa Beach. The two are acquaintances, police said.

The argument escalated and the suspect hit the victim in the head with a machete, causing extensive injury, police said.

The victim was hospitalized in serious condition, police said.

WEST OAHU

Fake money gram results in arrest

Police arrested a 36-year-old Waipahu man early Monday for allegedly trying to cash a forged money gram for $499.

Police said that about 12:30 a.m., a cashier at a Pearl City store called police after noticing that the money gram from Wal-Mart didn't have any security features on it.

Officers later arrested the man on suspicion of second-degree forgery.

HONOLULU

2 of 3 suspects held in robbery

Police arrested two people and were looking for a third in connection with a robbery in Kakaako Monday night.

Police said a 30-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman were walking at about 9:30 p.m. when they were accosted by the assailants. A 16-year-old girl stole the woman's purse while two men assaulted the male victim, police said. One of the men claimed to have a gun, police said.

The girl and one of the male suspects, 30, were arrested at Kamaile and Pensacola streets on suspicion of first-degree robbery. The victims suffered minor injuries and the stolen purse was not recovered, police said.

WAIKIKI

Driver of mo-ped held in bike's theft

Police arrested a 40-year-old man who was allegedly driving a stolen mo-ped and sped away from police who were trying to pull him over.

Police said an officer tried to pull over two mo-ped riders at Kalakaua Avenue and Kapiolani Boulevard about 11 a.m. Monday. When the officer turned on his blue dome light the mo-ped drivers sped away and split up, police said.

One of the mo-peds was stopped on Kalakaua Avenue and the officer noticed that the ignition switch was damaged and that there were wires hanging down. The officer then learned that the mo-ped had been stolen, but that the theft had not been reported. The officer arrested the suspect on suspicion of auto theft.

The other mo-ped driver got away.