Orangutan sanctuary breaks ground in Hilo
HILO >> After nine years of preparation, the Orangutan Foundation International formally broke ground yesterday next to the Hilo zoo for a sanctuary for unwanted or mistreated American orangutans.The first inhabitant, Rusti, a 21-year-old male now at Honolulu Zoo, is expected to be able to move to the new facility at Hilo's Panaewa Rainforest Zoo by the end of the year.
Further work will be needed before the public will be able to visit the facility about the middle of next year, said project head Steve Karbank.
Plans call for 20 orangutans eventually on 28 acres of undeveloped, non-native forest attached to the zoo. The project is entirely privately funded. Karbank said the foundation has commitments for the $750,000 needed for the first phase of the project.
Cyril Pahinui buys back his 3 stolen guitars
Local entertainer Cyril Pahinui got his three stolen guitars back the hard way: He paid for them.After thieves stole the guitars on Sept. 2 from Pahinui's Waikele home, Honolulu police said, the musician set out to look for them himself as soon as he returned from a mainland tour.
Collectively the guitars are worth an estimated $9,500.
"He came home and hit the streets," said CrimeStoppers Detective Letha DeCaires. "(He) called in all the people who would recognize his instruments and authorized a person to pay whatever it takes to get the instruments back.
"He called in all sorts of favors."
DeCaires confirms that after Pahinui got his instruments back, he withdrew his complaint.
Pahinui's wife, Charmagne, said while her husband is happy to have his instruments back, she is hoping that those who stole them can be caught.
Correction
>> The first name of Luci Beach, executive director of the Gwich'in Steering Committee, was spelled incorrectly as Lucy in a story Saturday.
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. Corrections and clarifications
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHONOLULU Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
Man arrested after trying to cash altered check
A Village Park man who allegedly changed a state check for 32 cents to $10,480 has been charged with forgery.Police say Godwyn Foster, 30, of Village Park, altered the amount of a state check issued to him and was arrested after he tried to cash the check yesterday at the Bank of Hawaii Mapunapuna branch. His bail is set at $15,000.
Police seek male suspect in Kaimuki bank robbery
CrimeStoppers and the FBI are looking for a male suspect who robbed the Kaimuki Branch of Territorial Savings and Loan at 1108 12th Ave. The robbery happened at about 1:52 p.m. yesterday.
Honolulu police said the suspect entered the bank, walked directly to a teller and demanded money. After the suspect received the money, he left through the front door and was last seen walking in the Koko Head direction on 12th Avenue.
The suspect is described as in his 40s, about 6 feet, 240 pounds, with a heavy build, wavy salt-and-pepper hair and crooked, stained teeth. He was also described as wearing dark sunglasses, a teal long-sleeve buttoned shirt, black dress slacks, dark dress shoes and a gold ring on his left middle finger.
Man injured in fight sought for sex assault
Police are waiting for a 58-year-old man to be released from the hospital to arrest him for assault, kidnapping and sexual assault. Police said patrol officers and an ambulance went to the man's Liliha residence at 8:40 a.m. Sunday for a reported assault.When they got there, they found the man had cuts on his hands, neck and abdomen. Police said the man refused to cooperate and was evasive in answering their questions.
Police said they later determined that the man was involved in a fight with a female who left the residence before they arrived. They located her and determined that she had been a victim of a sexual assault. The man was taken to Kaiser Moanalua Medical Center for surgery.
Central Oahu
2 brush fires force partial closures of H-2
Honolulu fire officials said two different brush fires on opposite sides of the H-2 freeway yesterday may have been intentionally set. The first fire happened at 10:20 a.m. on the Waianae side of the freeway near Ka Uka Boulevard.The fire forced the closure of the far-right town-bound lane of the freeway while firefighters battled the blaze. Firefighters left the scene at about 12:30 p.m., only to return to fight another fire in the same area 45 minutes later.
Firefighters said that blaze was on the Waiawa side of the freeway and farther north from Ka Uka Boulevard than the first fire. The second fire forced the closure of two right lanes of the H-2 heading toward Mililani and was reported under control after 3 p.m.
HFD spokesman Capt. Richard Soo said it does not appear that one blaze could have caused the other, because the wind was blowing in the wrong direction. Soo called the situation "unusual" and "strongly suspicious." Neither fire forced any evacuations. Both fires burned an estimated six to nine acres of brush.
WINDWARD OAHU
Man arrested for alleged bribe over driving test
A 35-year-old Waianae man was arrested yesterday after he allegedly tried to bribe a driving examiner after failing his road test.Police said the man took the road test at the city's Kaneohe testing facility. After failing the test, police said the man handed the examiner a white envelope containing a $100 bill. The examiner believes it was an attempt to bribe her to change her scoring of the test, police said.
Fire damages vacant home in Waihee Valley
Firefighters said a fire yesterday at a vacant house in Waihee Valley appears to have been intentionally set.
Honolulu fire officials said an incendiary device on a couch appears to have started the fire about 5 p.m. Fire officials said the house sits on state property about a mile mauka from Kamehameha Highway along Waihee Road. Firefighters brought the blaze under control within half an hour.
Neighbor Islands
Police look for suspect wanted on 5 warrants
HILO >> Police are seeking the public's help in finding a 34-year-old male wanted on five bench warrants, one for promotion of dangerous drugs and four for contempt of court. The suspect was identified as Christopher Neal Nasario, who is known to frequent the Hilo area.
Nasario is described as being 5 feet 6 inches tall, about 160 pounds, with a slim build, dark complexion, brown curly hair, brown eyes and dark mustache. He also has several tattoos, one with the words "No Fear" on his neck, a tribal band on his upper left arm, a skull and knife on his right upper arm and an eagle claw on both shoulders.
Anyone with information about Nasario's whereabouts is asked to call police at 935-3311. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call CrimeStoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona.
Two released, 1 arrested in attack after burglary
HILO >> Police have released two men without charges after arresting them Sunday for allegedly attacking a third man at a Kumukoa Street address.Police later learned the third man had burglarized their home and threatened five people with a knife. The alleged burglar, 49, was being held.
Police say man shot by officer ignored warnings
HILO >> A Big Island man shot by police Sunday while wielding scissors as a weapon ignored pepper spray fired at him and backed a police officer into a corner until the officer shot him, police said.Police identified the man as Paul Sandy, 51, of Paradise Park subdivision. He remained in serious but stable condition at Hilo Hospital, they said.
Responding to a 10:09 p.m. call of disorderly behavior and property damage, arriving police saw blood on a window of the house where Sandy had an apartment, they said.
The landlord living on the second floor let police into Sandy's apartment where they found him sitting on a couch, seriously wounded and apparently trying to wound himself further with scissors.
Officers talked to the man, who appeared to calm down but then jumped up and advanced with the scissors toward one of the policemen, police said.
Despite pepper spray fired at him, Sandy backed an officer into a small kitchen with no way out, police said. The officer then shot Sandy in the chest.
The officer who fired his weapon has more than 10 years' experience in the department.
