By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Dana and Terukazu Arai examine their smashed-in door
with neighbor Phillip Questel. A neighbor took the license
of a pickup that crashed through the door in broad daylight
yesterday. The thief or thieves stole golf clubs from the
Komo Mai Drive address.

Truck bashes door
in daytime theft

Someone was home when
the driver broke in for golf
clubs worth $15,000

By Harold Morse
Star-Bulletin

A stolen Toyota pickup served as a tool for breaking and entering a Pearl City garage yesterday as a brazen bandit heisted expensive golf clubs at high noon.

Victims of the crime at their 1350 Komo Mai residence were Terukazu and Dana Arai.

"My husband's cousin was in the home (sleeping after just arriving from Japan)," said Dana Arai. "She thought it was (road repair) or something. ... Luckily, she didn't go out. If she went out, probably he would have grabbed her or something."

Arai said the neighbor across the street heard a bang and saw the little pickup backing up. The pickup bashed the garage door a second time to force it open.

She said three sets of golf clubs were taken: one of the Japanese brand name Ena belonging to her and worth $6,000, and two sets belonging to her husband along with a few additional clubs of his worth about $9,000.

"Somebody must know we keep the golf clubs in there," she said. "Also, the truck was a stolen truck."

The neighbor got the license number, she said.

Damage to the garage door, garage wall and garage interior might total $5,000 or more, she said.

"Nothing's safe," she sighed. "We were just gone for not one hour and it just happened."