Police express grave concern over
the willingness of a gang who robbed
a bank yesterday to confront
anyone in their waySeveral shots were fired at an officer:
'They meant to kill him'Bakery van driver did as gunman said
By Rod Ohira
and Pat Omandam
Star-BulletinA masked gunman firing an assault rifle cleared an escape route for his accomplices following the violent "takeover" robbery of a Kahala bank.
A police manhunt continued today for the five suspects responsible for yesterday's midmorning holdup of American Savings Bank at 1215 Hunakai St.
"We're watching the airport, and units in every district are on full alert," Michael Carvalho, deputy chief in charge of investigations, said today.
"Everything happened so fast and was so intense that we're still gathering information and physical evidence for a more specific idea of who we're dealing with."
Police believe this is the fourth robbery the group has committed since December.
What happened in yesterday's armed robbery of American Savings Bank at Kahala Mall: Hail of bullets
1. 9:45 a.m.: Robbers enter bank.
2. 10:01 a.m.: Bank's silent alarm is triggered and an officer nearby responds.
3. 10:04 a.m.: A second police officer arrives.
4. Gunman outside bank opens fire at the first officer.
5. Officer is pinned down but gets off three shots.
6. Other suspects get into a Chevy Blazer and drive away.
7. 10:05 a.m.: Gunman takes control of bakery van.
8. A fifth suspect heads up the ramp, walks through Kahala Mall past the Gap and escapes.
DAMAGE
1204 Hunakai: Driveway and fence hit by bullets from gunman's assault rifle.
"We are very concerned about this group," Chief Lee Donohue said yesterday.
"They're very dangerous. They're willing to confront authority, as demonstrated (yesterday). And we're going to pull out all our stops -- all of our resources -- to find out who these people are."
But so far, the five have eluded capture.
Following the hail of gunfire yesterday, three of the suspects fled in a white Chevy Blazer that was reported stolen in Manoa Tuesday night. A fourth suspect was last seen walking toward Kahala Mall, police said. All escaped before other officers could arrive and pursue.
After firing over 20 shots at the first patrol officer on the scene, the fifth suspect commandeered a bakery delivery van on the Kahala Mall ramp off Hunakai Street, police said. He, too, escaped.
The officer, a 20-year HPD veteran who took cover behind a car about 40 feet from the gunman, was not seriously injured. Internal Affairs Lt. Greg Poole said the officer returned fire, shooting three times at the gunman.
The action outside the bank occurred between 10:01 and 10:05 a.m., police said.
A silent alarm that went off at 10:01 a.m. triggered the officer's response, according to police reports. A second patrol officer arrived on scene at 10:04 a.m., about a minute before the gunman took the Makiki Bake Shop van.
Myron R. Fuller, special agent in charge of the FBI's Honolulu office, said it was a well-organized and well-planned robbery.The suspects, wearing black outfits, ski masks and gloves, entered the bank at about 9:45 a.m.
There were seven employees and five customers in the bank, said Jean Kondo, American Savings Bank vice-president and public relations director.
Two gunmen ordered the 12 people to the floor, two others jumped onto the counter and took money from the teller drawers, while a fifth man stood watch inside the entrance to the bank, police said.
Cash was also taken from the automatic teller machine vault.
FBI spokesman John Gillies said that during the robbery, the suspects "ripped off" surveillance equipment and assaulted at least three people.
When a dye pack exploded, one of the suspects dropped the video cassette recorder with the surveillance tape. Authorities are studying the videotape, says Gillies.
A male employee was struck with a rifle butt but was not seriously injured, Kondo said.A customer was either slapped or punched in the back of the head, and a female employee was pulled by the hair from under a desk. Both escaped serious injury, Kondo said.
Although Fuller could not disclose how much was stolen, he said the amount was significantly more than the $3,000 or so typically taken in demand-note bank robberies.
First officer was fired on
The police officer was on Waialae Avenue when he responded to the silent alarm. He drove by and didn't initially see anyone outside of the bank.He made a U-turn on Hunakai Street, parking his unmarked vehicle on the bank-side of the street, behind a white car, said Maj. Henry Robinson, the officer's district commander.
By the time the officer got out of his car, the gunman was standing in an empty parking stall outside the Hunakai entrance to the bank, waiting to ambush him, Robinson said.
Instead of approaching the bank, the officer took cover between his vehicle and another as the gunman opened fire.
"They meant to kill him, no question," Robinson said. "We think they saw him from the bank before he made the U-turn."
The officer was not hit, and stray bullets did not cause any major property damage, other than to the car that was peppered by the gunman's fire.
"Thankfully no one got hurt and I'm just glad the officer followed our training," Donohue said, referring to proper procedure of not going directly to the bank.
As a spray of bullets kept the officer pinned down, three of the suspects came out of the bank, got into the white Chevy Blazer and fled, turning left onto Hunakai Street.Lt. Allen Napoleon said the officer called in vehicle descriptions and reported the suspects leaving the scene. Then he and the second officer headed for the bank to check the situation inside.
The Blazer was found minutes later abandoned on Luawai Street, near Pahoa Avenue, where another getaway car may have been used.
"We've got only sketchy information, but witnesses saw at least three men get into a blue Cadillac," Assistant Chief Stephen Watarai said.
The blue Cadillac was recovered about 8:30 p.m. yesterday in a parking lot on Ward Avenue.
Witnesses told police that one suspect fled on foot, running up to the second-floor parking ramp at Kahala Mall and past The Gap store with his mask on and carrying his weapon.
The suspect who made his escape in the white Makiki Bake Shop van ditched it at Pokole and Alohea streets, near the Diamond Head Theatre. Witnesses saw a man carrying a bag and rifle walking toward Leahi Hospital, police said.
"My fear at that point was a hostage incident," Watarai said.
Police search house to house
Specialized Services Division personnel conducted a house-to-house search but did not locate the suspect, who is described as a Caucasian man, about 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, with thinning gray hair.Fuller and Donahue confirmed yesterday there are similarities between yesterday's holdup and the recent armed robberies of three markets -- Times at Temple Valley Shopping Center on March 21, Foodland in Laie on June 21 and a Foodland Beretania last December.
The area where the vehicles were stolen as well as the way they were abandoned nearby for another vehicle following the robberies is one similarity, but there are others.
"From the type of weapons, yes, and from the ski masks, yes," Donohue said. "There are some similarities.
"The level of violence these people displayed is certainly alarming. It's a spooky situation because they've shown a willingness to confront us or anyone else who gets in their way," he said.
Fuller said there is no evidence from the style of the takeover robbery that the suspects are from the mainland.
He said there was nothing specific in the suspects' use of language during the robbery to tie them to any one ethnic group.
"There were conversations. They told people what to do and what not to do and ordered them around," Fuller said.
The bank was open for business today but with a working crew from other banks, Kondo said. A new VCR was also installed.
The bank crew that witnessed yesterday's robbery took the day off for counseling, she said.
Star-Bulletin writers Alisa LaVelle and Crystal Kua contributed to thi s report.
Investigators say the following robberies may have been committed by the same men who robbed American Savings Bank yesterday: Other crimes
These are the descriptions police have given of the five suspects. All wore black masks, long-sleeve shirts, pants, shoes and gloves: The suspects
Bakery van driver did as
gunman told himNeighbors held their breath
By Alisa LaVelle
Star-BulletinWhen the gunman told him to get out of the van, Hiroshi Inouye obeyed.
Inouye, 78, was driving the bakery van that a bank robber used to get away yesterday.
"I've been driving all my life and never had anything like this happen," Inouye said.
Inouye described the man as over 6 feet tall and about 200 pounds.
"He was holding a gun, so I didn't stop to notice his clothes or anything," Inouye said.
Inouye said the man jumped in front of the van as he pulled into the lower ramp of Kahala Mall near Hunakai Street about 10 a.m.
Not giving any arguments, Inouye turned off his engine. Inouye said he never panicked. Then the suspect came over and helped him take off his seat belt.
"It was over in a matter of seconds," Inouye said.
Inouye has driven the delivery van for Makiki Bake Shop for 10 years. He drove for the Army and also was a milk driver for 40 years. He came out of retirement to help the previous owners of the bakery.
The van was abandoned near Diamond Head Theatre, which is about five minutes from Inouye's home.
Owners plan to sell the van because it is "jinxed," Inouye said.
Later, Inouye was back at work.
Neighbors held their breath
By Alisa LaVelle
while police scoured area
Star-BulletinEric Kendrick heard a police helicopter for more than an hour and decided to stay inside.
More than 30 police officers with dogs searched an area of Alohea Street, Maunalei Avenue and Makapuu Avenue in Kaimuki yesterday for a bank robber.
"This all makes me nervous," said Kendrick, who lives on Alohea Street. "I'm glad it's daytime."
The robber, a tall, bald Caucasian man, was considered armed and dangerous, police said.
Police went house to house looking for the suspect. Following the robbery of American Savings Bank on Hunakai Street and a subsequent shootout with police, the man stole the van and escaped.
He abandoned the van near Diamond Head Theater, less than two miles from the bank, and fled on foot.
Police believed the man was still carrying a semiautomatic rifle.
"It looks like an AR 15, but it might be an AK 47," said police Lt. Hank Nobirga.
Police went into Terry Tamanaha's yard at 3626 Ahole St. looking for signs of the suspect.
"It frightened the kids when the SWAT team came," said Tamanaha, in his 70s, of his grandchildren.
Police searched a square mile for about three hours. They found nothing and returned to headquarters.
Eddie Lau, who lives at 520 Pokole St., said he had faith in the police finding the man. The abandoned van was across the street in front of his house.
"This is one of those things," Lau said. He brought out a water cooler with ice and cups for police and reporters.
Elissa Thompson said she felt scared knowing an armed man, who was running for his life, was in the neighborhood.
"This is usually a quiet neighborhood," Thompson said.
