Suspect had bright
college future

Neighbors say the 18-year-old shot
by police got involved with
the wrong crowd

Thomas "Wes" Greene, wounded by a police officer after allegedly ramming a stolen car into police and other vehicles Wednesday, was a talented athlete who received scholarship offers to play college football, his neighbors say.

Village Park neighbor Ryan Morales said Greene "was such a nice guy," with a bright future as a college football player. "All of a sudden, he was cruising with these guys," Morales said. "Since then he went downhill."

Greene, 18, was upgraded to serious condition from critical yesterday at Queen's Medical Center.

In Wednesday's car-ramming case in Pearl City, he faces charges of multiple first-degree attempted murder, first-degree criminal property damage, driving without a license and auto theft but has not yet been charged. Greene was arrested last week for auto theft.

Yesterday, police charged Greene's 24-year-old passenger, Randy Garcia, Greene's half brother, with possession of drug paraphernalia and third-degree promotion of dangerous drugs. Garcia was convicted on two counts of second-degree forgery May 31, 2002, and sentenced to five years' probation.

Garcia was arrested and Greene taken to the hospital after Greene allegedly drove toward police officers at Acacia Road and Kamehameha Highway, ramming their vehicles. He allegedly hit three officers who suffered minor injuries.

An officer fired a single shot at the vehicle and hit Greene in the stomach.

Police said the shooting occurred after they pursued a 1994 Honda Civic Coupe that had been stolen from a home on Kupuna Loop in Village Park.

In 2003, Greene, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound junior, played defensive back for Pearl City High School's varsity football team.

Morales, who lives across the street from the brothers, started to hang out with Greene about five or six years ago.

Greene dropped out of school despite having a lot going for him, neighbors said.

"He's a funny guy," Morales said. "He's a chick magnet."

Next-door neighbor Pam Andaya spoke to Greene the morning before the shooting, and said he was "smiling and happy."

When she learned he had been shot, "it was shocking," she said.

Andaya said the brothers were always respectful to her, and the incident showed a side of them she never saw. "It's just the wrong crowd," she said.