Newswatch
Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff and wire
Driver in Makaha crash was not drunk
Honolulu police said yesterday the driver of the car that crashed in Makaha on Dec. 8, killing four people, had been drinking but was not legally drunk.Chris Tacut, 21, had a blood alcohol level of 0.055 at the time of the collision along Farrington Highway. Police said yesterday that the driver of the Nissan Altima was 21, confirming Tacut was behind the wheel. Some family members had reported Tacut's brother, Josh Mendoza, was driving.
Mendoza was reported to have a 0.121 blood alcohol level, according to the medical examiner's office. The legal limit in Hawaii is 0.08.
Both Tacut and Mendoza died in the crash, along with two female passengers.
The Nissan was driving west on Farrington Highway alongside a white Honda at 7:12 p.m. when the Nissan moved into a middle lane, lost control, swerved into the oncoming lanes and collided with a Ford Explorer.
Police said they confirmed the driver's identity through interviews with the one surviving member of the crash, 19-year-old Talofaga "Talo" Uni. The case is still pending investigation.
Kauai co-op purchases power plant for $41.8M
LIHUE >> The Kauai Island Utility Co-op completed its $41.8 million purchase of a privately owned electrical generating plant yesterday.The 26.4-megawatt Kauai Power Partners plant, which provides 40 percent of Kauai's electricity, became operational in 2002. The plant near Hanamaulu uses a jet engine to turn a turbine generator and create electricity.
Kauai Power Partners, a group of mainland investors, had a 25-year contract to sell power exclusively to Kauai Electric Co. The co-op inherited that agreement last year when it bought Kauai Electric from Citizens Telecommunications Inc.
The co-op said purchasing the power plant will save its customers $39 million through 2027, when the agreement to buy power from the plant would have ended.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHONOLULU
Suspect charged in sex assault
Police charged a 20-year-old man with second-degree sexual assault and first-degree burglary for allegedly entering a Makiki woman's home and attacking her while she slept.Keoni Manibog, who has no local address, was arrested and charged Wednesday. His bail was set at $100,000.
The incident occurred Dec. 1 about 2 a.m. The victim told police that the suspect fled once she awoke.
Police arrested Manibog on Tuesday after the victim spotted him walking.
Man accused of thefts at girlfriend's home
Police have arrested a man for allegedly burglarizing the McCully home of his girlfriend's family.Police said a relative spotted the suspect climbing though the kitchen window of the family's Kamoku Street home on Dec. 3. When confronted, the suspect was recognized as the boyfriend of one of the granddaughters and said he was trying to get inside the house so he could use the phone.
Family members did not report the break-in to police until later this month, when jewelry was discovered missing from the house. Police said the suspect confessed to breaking into the home and stealing items on several occasions. Police arrested him Wednesday for first-degree burglary.
LEEWARD OAHU
Neighbors help fight blaze at apartment
Honolulu firefighters said four good Samaritans helped contain a fire at a Pearl City family's apartment last night.Fire officials said that before they arrived at 906 Lehua Ave., neighbors were fighting the fire from the balcony and through the front door with water hoses and fire extinguishers.
Fire investigators said the third-story apartment is home to a grandmother and her daughter and 7-year-old granddaughter. American Red Cross officials assisted the family with shelter and clothing. Fire officials had no information last night on a possible cause or a damage estimate.
CENTRAL OAHU
Suspect caught driving stolen car
Police arrested a 24-year-old man Wednesday in connection with a car theft earlier this month.The man was allegedly driving the stolen car on Kamehameha Highway and was stopped at the intersection of Wilikina Drive and Kamananui Road in Wahiawa.
Police also found stolen property and brass knuckles in the car. The man was released pending an investigation.
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
