‘Dog luck’ for police
nets robbery suspect
A Honolulu police detective at the right place at the right time caught the "uncle" bank robber, who police believe robbed six banks this year.
"It was what we call dog luck," CrimeStoppers Detective Letha DeCaires said.
Pasesa Levi Williams, 46, also known as William Levi Pasesa, of Honolulu, was charged yesterday in U.S. District Court with first-degree robbery of the Kapahulu branch of First Hawaiian Bank on May 7.
According to an affidavit by Detective Taro Nakamura, a teller who was held up in a robbery by Williams recognized him as he entered an American Savings Bank branch in Salt Lake on Monday. Williams stayed at the courtesy counter and appeared to be watching people in the bank.
The teller notified the bank manager, the affidavit said.
Williams left the bank without doing any business, and the manager followed him into the parking lot, where Williams got into a white Chevy Trailblazer. The manager copied his license plate number and called police.
Officers tracked ownership of the vehicle to Pasesa and Dolorinne Williams and created a photo lineup for bank employees from descriptions provided after two previous robberies.
On Tuesday, Detective Brian Johnson was on his way to show the lineup to employees at American Savings when he spotted Williams driving the Trailblazer. Williams parked by the entrance of the Territorial Savings Bank at 848 Ala Ilikoi, according to Johnson's affidavit.
Johnson called for patrol officers to meet him in the parking lot, where they arrested Williams without incident at 9 a.m., DeCaires said.
"We were at the right place at the right time," she said.
Detectives referred to Williams as "uncle" because they said he looks like somebody's uncle and does not stand out in a crowd.
Williams has no convictions, according to state records.
His last alleged robbery was at the Kapahulu branch of First Hawaiian, which police said he admitted to in an interview.
Williams walked into the bank at 7 p.m. and handed a note to the teller that said, "I have a gun," the affidavit said. After the teller gave him a stash of bills, including bait bills, Williams allegedly said he wanted only $100 bills. He then asked her if she wanted to see his gun and motioned to his waistband. He allegedly left with $209. He was last seen walking mauka on Kapahulu Avenue.
The teller at the Kapahulu branch identified Williams as the bank robber, the affidavit said.
Williams is also suspected in the robberies of the Kalihi branch of American Savings Bank on May 5, the Liliha branch of First Hawaiian Bank on April 30, the McCully branch of America Savings Bank on April 22, the Kalihi branch of City Bank on April 17 and the Liliha branch of American Savings Branch on April 5.
