STAR-BULLETIN / 2000
Albert Batalona was serving a life sentence.
Dangerous inmates A man who was sentenced to life in prison for shooting at police during a 1999 Kahala bank robbery escaped early this morning with two other inmates from the Halawa Correctional Facility.
escape from Halawa
A trio, including a violent
bank robber, break out
during a power surgeBy Nelson Daranciang
ndaranciang@starbulletin.comOfficials said the three escapees, who were housed in two separate cells in the high-security portion of the prison, apparently took advantage of power surges caused by lightning.
The escapees were identified as Albert Batalona, 37, who was serving a life sentence for first-degree attempted murder in a shoot-out with police; Warren Elicker, 25, who was serving a 10-year sentence for a home-invasion robbery and car jacking; and David Scribner, 20, who was serving a 10-year sentence for attempted prison escape and robbery.
Batalona, who led a group of masked men who held up the Kahala branch of American Savings Bank in July 1999, and his cohorts are considered dangerous and should not be approached, police said.
The three apparently escaped when the prison was darkened during brief power surges, police said. HECO spokesman Fred Kobashigawa said the area had three power surges between 3:16 and 3:31 a.m. because of lightning strikes.
Immediately after prison officials notified the police that the three were missing, police closed off Halawa Valley Road, the only access to and from the prison, and questioned drivers in the area.
But the three apparently hijacked a car from nearby Stadium Mall to make their getaway after they got out of the facility, police said.
A man told police he was sitting in his car near the Ice Palace at the shopping mall when three men approached. They forced him out of his car and drove away.
The man identified one of the three as Batalona, who pretended he had a knife, police said.
The car, a white 1999 Honda Civic, was found abandoned at Hauula Kai Shopping Center on windward Oahu about 8 a.m.
Batalona is serving a life term without the possibility for parole for shooting at police during the Kahala bank holdup. Batalona was armed with an assault rifle, and one of the three other robbers also had an assault rifle.
Police said more than 25 shots were fired during the shoot-out. No one was injured.
Elicker was sentenced to two consecutive 20-year terms for a home invasion robbery in Punaluu and a car jacking at Ala Moana Center in 2001.
Scribner was sentenced to 10 years for attempted first-degree escape and second-degree robbery in connection with an escape attempt in May last year. Scribner and another inmate at Oahu Community Correctional Center tried to escape by hijacking a food service van at the prison.
Star-Bulletin reporter Debra Barayuga contributed to this report.
