Theft sours
Pop Warner
fund-raiser

Hundreds had chipped
in $10 a ticket to help a Manoa
team, but there's no food -- or cash

By Rod Ohira
Star-Bulletin

Police are investigating the theft of more than $20,000 from a Manoa Paniolo Pop Warner fund-raiser.

Detective Glenn Muramoto said several hundred people with tickets from a fund-raiser showed up Saturday to pick up kalua pig that apparently was never ordered.

"The Pop Warner team is not at fault," Muramoto said. "They tried to run a legitimate fund-raiser but was apparently conned by one of the parents.

"The team supposedly turned all the money over to that parent, and we've been unable to locate him. It appears to be an out-and-out theft case."

Muramoto says the parent was evicted from the address that team officials provided and his son has not been in school since last Thursday.

The theft involves between $20,000 and $80,000, Muramoto said. Tickets at $10 each for kalua pig were sold by players to fund a trip to Las Vegas for a Dec. 11 game.

"The kids sold tickets and were looking forward to the trip, and now they can't go," Muramoto said. "It's a travesty."

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Muramoto at 529-3863.

Manoa team officials were unavailable for comment.