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Father of dead girl sues others in crash

The father of a girl who was killed in a traffic accident on the Leeward Coast that also killed a solo bike officer is suing two other drivers whose actions allegedly triggered the multiple car crash.

Lon Williams filed a complaint in Circuit Court yesterday against Marc Henderson, Lorrie Ann Moniz and the state.

Ten-year-old Alacia Williams was a front-seat passenger in a car driven by her mother, Karin Williams, on July 23, 2003, when Williams slowed and swerved to avoid a cardboard box that had allegedly fallen on Farrington Highway from the back of Henderson's truck. Moniz, who was traveling directly behind the Williamses, rear-ended them, pushing their car into the opposite lanes where Officer Ryan Goto and four other solo bike officers were traveling.

The suit alleges the state was negligent for not installing median barriers or guardrails where the crash occurred. Goto's father and the guardian of Goto's minor son filed civil complaints earlier against Henderson, Moniz and Karin Williams, blaming them for causing Goto's death.

Bus driver pleads guilty to tax evasion

One of two former Oahu Transit Services bus drivers arrested in Las Vegas and returned to Honolulu to face tax evasion charges has pleaded guilty.

Maselusi Soa entered pleas to two counts of tax evasion and one count of failure to file earlier this month and was granted a deferral of his plea for a period of five years.

Besides paying all delinquent taxes, Soa was also ordered to reimburse the state for the costs of extraditing him back to Hawaii. The court allowed Soa to return to Las Vegas where he will be supervised to ensure he complies with the terms of his deferral.

Bus driver Milton Toguchi, who pleaded not guilty on May 9, will go to trial the week of July 11.

Tax evasion is a Class C felony punishable by up to $100,000 in fines and/or prison of up to three years for each violation. Failure to file is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 or imprisonment of up to one year.

Concert raises $26,000 for abused children

The Children's Alliance of Hawaii has $26,000 more in its budget to help abused children, thanks to a benefit concert held by the Malama Jam nonprofit student organization.

River Kim and Tierney Morikawa, two Punahou students, organized the second annual variety concert and dance earlier this month with the help of classmates and mentors.

About 30 students from a number of other schools provided the entertainment, ranging from traditional Hawaiian music to hip-hop. The concert was a sell-out like last year's event, whose proceeds went to the Institute of Human Services for the homeless.

The theme of this year's event was "Children Helping Children."

Including receipts from a silent auction and food booth, the event grossed more than $32,000 and netted more than $26,000. Expenses accounted for about $6,000, according to Gregory Kim, the group's adviser.

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[ Taking notice ]

» U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye's nominees to the U.S. military service academies are:

Air Force Academy: Kai Yamashiro of Iolani School and Dennis Habecker of Punahou School; alternates, Joshua Newman of Hawaii Pacific University and Robert Cannell of Iolani.

Military Academy: Valerie Mossman, home-schooled, and John Sauve of Leilehua High School; alternates, Lauren Okada of Punahou and Ryan Kelly of Kalaheo High School.

Naval Academy: Weixin Matsuoka of Punahou; alternates, Jaime Fujimoto of Purdue, William Arnest of UH-Manoa and Thomas Roten of Kalaheo High School.

Merchant Marine Academy: Robert Cannell of Iolani, Benjamin Inouye of Hilo High School, William Wilkerson of King Kekaulike High School, Kai Yamashiro of Iolani and Toby Yamashiro of Waiakea High School.

» The Maui High Performance Computing Center has awarded five University of Hawaii departments more than $116,000 in grants to support students using its computers for research.

Projects include research on gene function, seismic soil-structure interaction and humpback whales.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

LEEWARD OAHU

Waipahu bank robbery suspect surrenders

Police charged a 52-year-old man yesterday with the May 18 robbery of a Waipahu bank.

Daniel Miller surrendered to police on Monday, and he was charged with robbing the Waipahu branch of First Hawaiian Bank, 94-205 Leoku St.

CrimeStoppers thanked the dozens of callers who provided police with information concerning the robbery.

WINDWARD OAHU

Kahaluu toddler found in family pool dies

A 2-year-old Kahaluu boy found in the family pool died yesterday morning.

Police said the boy was found sometime between 7:15 and 7:30 a.m. yesterday by a family member.

The child was taken to Castle Medical Center, where efforts to resuscitate him failed, police said.

The case is pending further investigation.

Robber videotaped at Kailua bank sought

Police are looking for a man seen on videotape stealing a bank deposit bag from a woman at a Kailua bank on Sunday.

Police said the woman was trying to deposit the bag at the Bank of Hawaii branch at 636 Kailua Road around 2:45 p.m. Sunday when the suspect approached her from behind, grabbed the bag and fled on foot.

He is described as being in his late 20s to early 30s, 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 130 pounds, with a medium build, wearing a white hooded jacket, sunglasses, dark pants and dark shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Roxanne Faulkner at 261-6106 or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cell phone.