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Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff and wire service
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DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
This ball python, measured at 2 feet long, was found by a man in the bathroom of his Kaneohe home yesterday.
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Man finds python in bathroom
A Kaneohe resident discovered an unwelcome house guest yesterday, a 2-foot-long snake curled up in a bathroom of his home.
The resident of Yacht Club Street, near Kaneohe Bay Shopping Center, discovered the ball python in a small bucket next to a bathtub.
It is not known how the snake got into the house, according to a state Department of Agriculture release. Department inspectors collected the snake, which is being held at the plant quarantine station in Kalihi.
Ball pythons, which are native to western and west-central Africa, are common in the pet trade on the mainland, the release said. They eat small mammals and birds.
Snakes are illegal in Hawaii. Possession of an illegal animal can bring a felony charge, fines and imprisonment.
Crash victim's family holds sale
A Waianae yard sale will be held to raise money for the family who lost a 3-year-old boy to a fatal drunken driving crash.
The yard sale will be held 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 86-024 Glenmonger St. in Waianae.
The money will go to the Miles family. The family was driving in Nanakuli when their vehicle was struck by a pickup truck being driven by 25-year-old Sanford Valdez.
Valdez and 3-year-old Koa Paka Miles were both ejected from their respective vehicles, killing them both. Miles' parents were also injured in the crash.
Residents interested in donating items to the yard sale can call Rep. Maile Shimabukuro's office at 586-8460, or 696-4677. Monetary donations also are being accepted. Checks can be made payable to Koa Paka Miles, and mailed to P.O. Box 298, Waianae, HI 96792.
School board meeting canceled
Tomorrow's Board of Education meeting at 3:30 p.m. has been canceled because a public notice was not posted with a state office six days in advance as required by law.
The office of Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona instructed the board to cancel the meeting, saying it didn't receive a fax about it until Monday morning.
School board Chairwoman Donna Ikeda said fax problems might have delayed filing the agenda with Aiona's office. But she said a notice was uploaded Friday to the Hawaii.gov Web site.
Ikeda said the online posting should be enough to meet Hawaii's Sunshine Law, which is meant to give the public adequate notice about meetings.
But the law states that meeting notices need to be filed with Aiona's office, according to Jennifer Brooks, an attorney with the state Office of Information Practices.
Education issues that were to be discussed tomorrow will likely be added to the agenda of a June 19 meeting, Ikeda said.
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Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff
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Work-site death ruled accidental
The Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the identity of a 50-year-old man who died Monday after he was struck by a concrete boom pump at a condominium project site as Gregory K. Wong of Waianae.
The cause of death was "cranial cerebral injuries due to an industrial accident," according to the Medical Examiner's Office. The manner of death was classified as an accident.
Wong was working with a concrete boom pump at the Moana Vista condominium project located on Kapiolani Boulevard when a sling snapped.
The snap of the sling caused the pump to fall onto Wong, who was working on the ground.
He worked for American Standard Concrete Pumping Hawaii Inc.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Accidents kill 2 on Maui roads
WAILUKU » Two people died in separate accidents within hours of each other yesterday on Maui.
William Rodriguez, 32, of Kihei died when the motorcycle he was driving went off the right shoulder of Honoapiilani Highway in Lahaina about 6:05 p.m., police said. Rodriguez was headed toward Wailuku. Traffic was tied up for hours as police closed the highway to investigate the crash.
Less than two hours later, a vehicle traveling south on Haleakala Highway near Aolewa Street in Kula struck a rock embankment on the right shoulder. Lin Robson, 56, of the United Kingdom was sitting in the back seat of the car and died from injuries suffered in the crash, police said.
Maui police said both crashes were being investigated.
The fatalities were the 10th and 11th traffic deaths in Maui County this year, compared with 10 for the same period last year.
HONOLULU
Man, 76, accused of assaulting girl
A 76-year-old Salt Lake man was charged Monday with sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 14 from 1997 to 2005.
Bonifacio C. Taguba was charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault, four counts of third-degree sexual assault and continuous sexual assault of a minor under the age of 14 years, a Class A felony.
His bail was set at $100,000.
The girl told police he began touching her inappropriately when she was 5 and continued through age 11, according to a police affidavit.
The girl was taken to Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children on April 23, and a police report was begun.
The girl said the incidents of sexual assault happened when she would visit his house at least once a month or more.
Taguba allegedly had kissed her, touched her inappropriately and rubbed his genitals against her, and she said she was afraid he would hurt her, the police affidavit said.
Police arrested Taguba Friday at his home.
LEEWARD OAHU
Man faces car theft and DUI charges
Police arrested a 33-year-old man for allegedly stealing his brother's car, driving drunk, and fleeing the scene of an accident.
About 8 p.m. Monday night, a 25-year-old man woke up and noticed his car was missing. Police said that two hours later the victim's brother was driving the missing car in Waipahu when he hit a parked vehicle and fled the scene.
Police later responded to an argument in Ewa Beach, where the brothers were arguing about the car. The suspect allegedly admitted to being involved in the accident.
Police arrested the man on suspicion of driving under the influence, fleeing the scene of an accident, as well as for two outstanding warrants.
He also was initially arrested for investigation of auto theft, but the suspect's brother withdrew the complaint.
Man's eye injured in alleged assault
Police arrested a 21-year-old man Monday night after he allegedly hit another man in the eye with a rock.
Police said that at about 8:30 p.m., the suspect and a 36-year-old man were arguing at a home on 86-221 Farrington Highway in Waianae.
Police said the suspect picked up a rock and slammed the victim's eye with it. Police said the rock might have caused irreparable damage to the eye. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault.
WINDWARD OAHU
Girl allegedly misused ATM card
Police arrested a 16-year-old girl Monday for allegedly using a stolen automated teller machine card belonging to a family member.
Police said the card belonged to a 64-year-old woman who discovered the unauthorized use of the card when she reviewed her account on the Internet.
Police arrested the girl in Kailua on suspicion of fraudulent use of credit card and unauthorized possession of confidential and personal information. The girl was later released pending further investigation.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Adult, 2 children escape Kona fire
One adult and two children escaped a fire that destroyed their South Kona home yesterday, according to the Hawaii County Fire Department.
The fire was reported at 12:36 p.m. yesterday at 89-0916 Hoopuloa Farm Road in Honomalino.
Fire officials said the 20-by-30-foot home had collapsed by the time the first units arrived on scene nearly 30 minutes later. The occupants had gotten themselves out safely, officials said.
Damage was estimated at $25,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation.