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'Process breakdown' hampers 911 calls

Calls to 911 could not get through to emergency dispatchers statewide for 15 minutes yesterday.

Between 10:30 and 10:45 a.m. yesterday, the system was down due to a "process breakdown," according to Ann Nishida, spokeswoman for Verizon Hawaii Inc. "There is a human element," she added.

There will be an investigation to determine the cause.

A backup system came up about 10:45 a.m., but the enhanced system that automatically displays the phone number and location of the caller for the dispatchers did not work.

Locations and phone numbers were given to dispatchers verbally until the system was fully restored at 5:02 p.m. yesterday.

Michelle Yu, Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman, said police were not aware of any life-threatening situations that occurred during the 15 minutes that the system was completely down.

"It didn't affect our operations that much," added fire Capt. Kenison Tejada.

Lingle picks 2 bankers for UH regent slots

Two island bankers, Allan Landon and Ron Migita, have been nominated to the University of Hawaii Board of Regents by Gov. Linda Lingle.

Landon succeeded Mike O'Neill as chairman and CEO of Bank of Hawaii.

Ron Migita, former president and CEO of CB Bancshares, is now chairman of the board of Central Pacific Bank. Migita is former president of City Bank and International Savings.

Lingle also nominated three members to the Land Use Commission. They are Thomas Contrades, a retired ILWU business agent and member of the Hawaiian Home Lands Commission; Duane Kanuha, former Big Island director of planning; and Ransom Piltz, a former member of the Maui Planning Commission and president of Piltz Electric.

Kaneohe Marines returning from Iraq

The homecoming for Kaneohe Marines continues.

Yesterday, 55 members of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment from Kaneohe Bay returned after seven months in Iraq assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force from Camp Pendleton in Southern California.

Also completing a separate seven-month deployment are another 900 Kaneohe Marines from 2nd Battalion's sister unit, the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.

On Saturday, 143 Marines from the 1st Battalion returned to Kaneohe after spending more than four months in Iraq where they fought in the crucial month-long battle for Fallujah in November. The rest of the unit should be home by the end of the month.

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Taking notice

» Parents and Children Together (PACT) has been awarded $50,000 for the second year of a $100,000 grant by the Hawaii Children's Trust Fund for the Hawaii Coalition for Dads.

The 2004-05 grant supports the coalition's efforts to strengthen the Nurturing Fathers/Play+Learn program at the Waiawa Correctional Facility. The facility works with the Institute for Family Enrichment and Good Beginnings Alliance to re-establish, maintain and enhance inmates' bonds with their children and families.

Other goals of the coalition are:

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

HONOLULU

Collision kills motorcyclist in Halawa

A military man riding a motorcycle died last night after he collided with a car in Halawa.

The motorcyclist, 40 years old, was traveling on Halawa Heights Road about 8:10 p.m. when he collided with an automobile, an Emergency Medical Services supervisor said.

The man was taken to Tripler Army Medical Center in extremely critical condition, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital, the supervisor said.

The car driver, a 49-year-old woman, was taken to Kapiolani Medical Center at Pali Momi, with minor injuries.

Police charge driver with altered license

Police charged a 26-year-old man Sunday after officers discovered his driver's license was counterfeit.

Police identified the suspect as Beom Joseph Hong of Aiea.

Police stopped Hong at 1615 Sand Island Parkway about 9:40 a.m. Saturday for traffic-related offenses when a police officer noticed his driver's license appeared to be altered.

Police determined that the license was counterfeit. Officers also discovered a Federal Express package in the back seat of his vehicle containing a laptop computer that was purchased under the purported name. A checkbook under the same name was also found.

Police said the name on the package and on the checkbook was of a 42-year-old man who reported a burglary earlier.

Hong was charged with second-degree theft and second-degree identity theft. He is being held in lieu of $45,000 bail.

LEEWARD OAHU

Man robs Waipahu bank and flees on foot

CRIMESTOPPERS CrimeStoppers and the Honolulu Police Department want the public's help in identifying the suspect who robbed the Waipahu Branch of American Savings Bank, 94-060 Farrington Highway, yesterday.

Police are looking for a man who robbed the Waipahu branch of American Savings Bank yesterday morning.

Police said a man caught on surveillance video walked into the bank, at 94-060 Farrington Highway, about 10:30 a.m.

The suspect told a teller he was armed and demanded money, police said. He fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.

He was last seen running mauka through the Waipahu Town Center parking lot.

The suspect is described as a man in his late 20s or early 30s, 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 220 pounds, with a heavy build, brown hair and brown eyes. He was seen wearing a navy blue baseball cap, gray long-sleeved T-shirt, baggy faded denim jeans, work boots and carrying a black backpack.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Gordon Makishima at 529-3383 or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.

Girl's acquaintance charged in sex assault

Police charged a 20-year-old man with multiple counts of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in Kapolei last week.

John Philip Dominguez Ibanez, who has no local address, according to police, was arrested Thursday at Kapolei Shopping Center.

The girl told police that she and Ibanez went to her mother's Kapolei business when it was closed and engaged in sexual activity, according to a police affidavit.

The girl's mother said she had seen Ibanez talking with her daughter on various occasions and feared they could become romantically involved, the affidavit said. The mother told Ibanez to stay away from her daughter.

Ibanez was charged Saturday with five counts of first-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree sexual assault. He was being held in lieu of $35,000 bail.

Car theft arrest follows threat with beer bottle

Police arrested a 19-year-old man after he allegedly stole another man's vehicle on the Leeward Coast.

Police said the victim, 18, was with friends in the Kaiholo Beach area a couple of minutes after midnight Saturday when they were approached by several males.

One of the males held a beer bottle and demanded the victim's car keys. Police said the victim gave up his keys, then the suspect and another man got into the car and drove off.

Patrol officers located the vehicle in Nanakuli when the two suspects fled on foot.

The 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of first-degree robbery. Police said the second suspect has yet to be located.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

California woman dies in Kauai sea incident

A 64-year-old California woman died Sunday at Wilcox Hospital after she was taken out of the water at Anahola Beach about 1 p.m. Saturday.

Bystanders and a police officer administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation before she was transported to the hospital in critical condition.