Newswatch
Police, Fire, Courts

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Saturday, May 5, 2001

Officer in fatal crash
reportedly to face charges

An Oahu grand jury has returned a manslaughter indictment against a former Honolulu police officer involved in a fatal traffic accident, according to a television news report.

Clyde Arakawa's car collided with a car driven by Dana Ambrose, 19, on Oct. 7 at Pali Highway and School Street.

Ambrose was killed, and Arakawa, 49, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and negligent homicide.

No charges were filed at the time.

Arakawa later retired from the Police Department and now lives in Oregon.

The indictment was returned earlier this week and remains sealed at the request of prosecutors, TV station KHON reported last night.

The station quoted other legal documents as saying Arakawa has agreed to return to Hawaii by Tuesday.

Ambrose's parents have sued Arakawa and two restaurants where he allegedly had been drinking prior to the crash.

Transportation director laments lack of exemption

WAILUKU >> State Transportation Director Brian Minaai said he was disappointed that state legislators failed to pass a bill exempting coastal airport construction from county permit review.

"We really believe that the passage of the bill would help to streamline government by reducing duplicative processes and redundancies," Minaai said.

Minaai said the department will try to get the bill passed next legislative session.

The measure, sent back to Senate and House lawmakers Tuesday, was opposed by a number of state legislators and also the Maui County Council.

Maui Councilman Michael Molina said he believes in "home rule."

Hilo concert to bid aloha to humpbacks

HILO >> A "Whale Aloha Escort Concert" is set for 10 a.m.-6 p.m. today at Onekahaka Beach Park, Pavilion 3, in Hilo.

Presented by Planet Puna, the concert is to include HRH Ohana, Kaliko Ohana, Alicia Bay Laurel, Randy Mattos, Tony Selvage, Silver, Spirit Ohana, All Girl's Rock and Roll Band Venus, the Whales & Dolphins and more.

"Just as we like to send our human guests away with our aloha and good memories of their time in Hawaii, this year we want to send the whales back home with especially good memories and feelings by having a concert for them to fill them with our love and aloha," said promoter Paradise Newland.

For more information, contact Newland at 969-3160 or see http://www.planetpuna.com.

Corrections and clarifications

>> Rep. Mark Moses (R, Ewa-Waipahu) voted for the bill to raise the minimum wage that passed during the legislative session that ended Thursday. He expressed reservations about the provision of the bill raising the tip credit for restaurant and other service workers. His vote was inaccurately reported on the editorial page Thursday.

Corrections and clarifications The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Publisher and Editor in Chief John Flanagan at 529-4748 or email him at jflanagan@starbulletin.com.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers

Victim identified in fatal Hilo accident

HILO >> Police have identified the victim of a fatal three-car accident Thursday on the Hamakua Coast as Dana Calderon, 47, a Hilo resident who recently moved from Maryland with her husband.

Calderon was driving toward Hilo on Hawaii Belt Road when she lost control on a bridge near Ookala and hit an oncoming car driven by George Kinzer, 61, of Littleton, Colo.

A third car, driven by Macculate St. Clair, 66, of Keaau, avoided hitting the other cars but hit the side of the bridge.

St. Clair was treated and released. Her passenger, Frances Capo, 92, remains in Hilo Hospital in stable condition.

Both Kinzer and his wife Hazel, 61, also remain in the hospital in stable condition.

Calderon's death was the 11th Big Island traffic fatality of the year, compared with 10 at the same time last year.

North Shore accident sends juvenile to hospital

A 14-year-old was taken to the Queen's Medical Center after being struck by a white Ford Bronco near Sunset Beach yesterday afternoon.

Police said the accident occurred about 4:30 p.m. at 59-236 Kamehameha Hwy.

The victim was taken to Queen's by helicopter in critical condition.

Further details were not available at this time, police said.

FBI, Honolulu police seek City Bank robber

Officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Honolulu Police Department are looking for a man who robbed the City Bank in Waipahu yesterday.

FBI agent Myron Fuller said the robber entered the bank, located on 94-210 Pupukahi St., around 3:30 p.m. The suspect threatened employees with a gun.

He ordered customers and employees to the floor, took an undisclosed amount of money and fled.

The robber is described as a man in his late 20s to early 30s with dark brown eyes, approximately 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-7, weighing between 150 to 160 pounds.

He was further described as wearing a dark-color jacket, gloves, a camouflaged color cap and a face net with the eyes cut out.

Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at 566-4300 or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.

Man charged, 2 others sought in Hilo beating

HILO >> Police have charged an 18-year-old Hilo man with attempted murder in the beating of another man in downtown Hilo on Feb. 17.

The suspect, whose name was not released because he was a 17-year-old juvenile at the time, was released following his arrest Thursday. The case will be heard by Family Court.

The victim, 37, told police he was beaten with a baseball bat at about 2 a.m. by a man who also wielded a machete.

He said a second man hit him with a car, knocking him over the top of the vehicle.

A third man was also involved.

The victim was treated at Hilo Hospital and released.

Anyone with information on the other two suspects is asked to call 961-2379 or CrimeStoppers at 961-8300.