Father and son
arrested in bank heistThe dad is released, though,
pending further investigation
A 40 year-old-man was charged yesterday in a Kapalama bank robbery in which his 62-year-old father allegedly drove the getaway car, according to police.
Benjamin A. Sugui Jr. was in federal custody yesterday after being charged with first-degree robbery, while his father, Benjamin A. Sugui Sr., was arrested on the same charge but was released pending further investigation, the FBI said.
Sugui Jr. pointed a handgun at a teller in Bank of Hawaii's branch at 1505 Dillingham Blvd. on Wednesday and demanded money, according to an affidavit by Honolulu Police Department Detective Michael Ogawa, who also investigates federal crimes as a special deputy U.S. marshal.
The teller gave cash to Sugui Jr., including "bait bills," Ogawa said.
Sugui Jr. put the money in his jacket, walked out and headed south on Colburn Street, the affidavit said.
A man waiting in the bank overheard Sugui say to the teller, "Hurry up," and saw him point a handgun at her and place the cash in a bag, police said. The witness got into his car, followed Sugui and saw him get into the passenger side of a green car that drove off westbound on Kalani Street, police said.
The witness gave police the license plate number of the car.
A police helicopter spotted the car on Likelike Highway on the Kaneohe side of the Wilson Tunnel, and the men were arrested at 9:51 a.m., about 15 minutes after the robbery. Police shut down one Kaneohe-bound lane of the highway during the arrest.
Sugui Sr. was driving the car when the two were arrested, police said.
Police found a handgun and $814 in cash, including the "bait bills" inside the car. Witnesses identified Sugui Jr. in a lineup later that morning, police said.
Sugui Jr. was released from prison March 20 after serving 20 years for robbing and sexually abusing a church secretary in 1983, according to Hawaii Paroling Authority administrator Tommy Johnson and court records.
Bank robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
