Newswatch
Police, Fire, Courts

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Swimming pool in Makiki park reopens today

The Makiki swimming pool will reopen today after closing on Tuesday for minor repairs to its restroom floor. The repairs were covered by contract, city officials said.

Officials originally believed the repairs would take until May 6.

The pool, which cost $2.4 million to build, was opened at the end of November last year. It was originally scheduled to open in September but the city chose to increase the size of the pool's back-flush filter to make it operate better.

The pool is open for lap swims from 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and for public swims from 3:30 to 4:50 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

14 Wal-Mart employees treated after chemical spill

Fourteen Wal-Mart employees were treated at St. Francis Medical Center-West last night after they complained of nausea and chest pains from an unknown chemical that spilled in a container they were unloading.

Capt. Kenison Tejada of the Honolulu Fire Department said employees from Wal-Mart in Mililani drove themselves to St. Francis around 9:07 p.m. after they were exposed to fumes from the spill. One employee complained of tightness in the chest, Tejada said.

All employees were being decontaminated outside the emergency room before entering the hospital, he added.

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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 Managing Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at fbridgewater@starbulletin.com.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers

HONOLULU

Wooden pallets and car burn near Costco outlet

Motorists on the H-1 Freeway who called 911 this morning to report a fire at the Salt Lake Costco were actually seeing flames from a tall stack of wooden pallets outside a business nearby, fire officials said.

The fire was reported about 2:30 a.m. When firefighters arrived they found they a stack of pallets fully involved. A car next to the pallets was also on fire. A damage estimate was not available. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Police said the car was reported stolen. It did not have any license plates.

Pedestrian killed Sunday identified as Kalihi man

The coroner's office has identified the 77-year-old pedestrian who died Sunday as Santiago Ramos Sagucio.

Police said Sagucio, of Kalihi, was running outside the crosswalk along South King Street near Bishop Street Sunday afternoon when he was hit by a brown 1979 Dodge Ram operated by a 44-year-old driver.

Paramedics transported Sagucio to Queen's Medical Center where he later died.

Police hunt suspect who hijacked woman's SUV

Police are asking for the public's help in locating a male suspect who robbed a 52-year-old woman of her Nissan Pathfinder. Police said that about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, the victim stopped at a red light at the intersection of Kapiolani Boulevard and University Avenue. A man entered her car from the passenger side, opened the driver side door and pushed her out of the car. Police said the suspect drove the vehicle Ewa-bound on Kapiolani Boulevard.

Police said the vehicle was recovered Wednesday on Prospect Street. The suspect is described as a man in his 20s, about six feet tall and between 160 and 180 pounds. He is further described as having a thin build, black straight, neck-length hair, and black eyes and a dark complexion. The suspect was wearing a green baseball cap, green T-shirt and brown, knee-length shorts.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Taro Nakamura at 529-3392 or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.

Bystanders chase down would-be soda shoplifter

Witnesses chased down and captured a a 35-year-old man Wednesday after he allegedly tried to steal a bottle of soda from a Kapahulu mini-mart.

Around 2:20 p.m., police said the suspect walked into the store on Kapahulu Avenue and picked up a bottle of soda without paying for it. Police said the 55-year-old store owner grabbed the bottle from the man's hand and was punched in the face by the suspect.

Police said the owner suffered minor lacerations. Witnesses chased the suspect and held him until police arrived.

WINDWARD OAHU

Police open sex assault investigation in Kailua

Police have opened a sexual assault investigation after a 3-year-old Kailua girl told her baby sitter yesterday that her father had sexually assaulted her. The girl was taken to Kapiolani Medical Center for examination.

WAIKIKI

2 suspects held in foiled theft of shopping bag

A 16-year-old Kaneohe boy and 20-year-old Kaaawa man were arrested for robbery last night for allegedly trying to snatch a shopping bag away from a woman in Waikiki. The woman, a 30-year-old visitor from Japan, held on to the bag and fell to the ground suffering scratches on her arm and head. Police said the woman was crossing the street at the corner of Kuhio Avenue and Walina Street about 10:40 p.m. when the suspects approached her from behind and grabbed her shopping bag. Witness chased the two suspects. Police arrested them near Lewers Street.

LEEWARD OAHU

Waipahu teen accused of sex assault on sister

Police charged a 14-year-old Waipahu boy Wednesday with sexually assaulting his 13-year-old sister. He was charged with one count of sexual assault in the first degree and three counts of sexual assault in the third degree. The assaults allegedly occurred between Nov. 1999 and Oct. 2001.

Homeless man arrested on gun and drug charges

Police arrested a 39-year-old homeless man Wednesday for terroristic threatening and firearm violations and drug charges following a traffic confrontation.

Police said the man pointed a firearm at another motorist on Farrington Highway near Helelua Street, then drove off. The other motorist, a 25-year-old Aiea man, called police and gave them the license plate number and description of the man's vehicle.

Officers stopped the vehicle at Pokai Bay Beach Park. When they went up to the driver, they spotted the butt of a handgun, police said. They also recovered a glass pipe with drug residue in it, police said.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Ocean View home robbed of items worth $22,241

OCEAN VIEW, Hawaii >> Big Island police want to know who stole $22,241 worth of items from an Ocean View home between March 16 and April 1.

Stolen items include a complete system of solar panels taken from the roof, a water pump and water pressure tank, home entertainment equipment and fishing gear.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 939-2520 or Crime Stoppers at 329-8181.