CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Police arrested four adults in a raid early yesterday in a unit at Mayor Wright Housing in Palama where neighbors had long complained of drug dealing.

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4 arrested in
Kalihi drug raid

Police say one resident dealt "ice"
while her grandchildren slept

Kalihi police raided an apartment in Mayor Wright Homes early yesterday and arrested a 45-year-old grandmother who was allegedly dealing drugs while her five grandchildren were sleeping.

Police broke down the door to Unit 31-K just after 6:15 a.m. and arrested Cathy Avilla and three other adults in the apartment for investigation of third-degree promotion of dangerous drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police said they seized dozens of packets of crystal methamphetamine, cash and electronic equipment suspected to have been bought with drug money.

Avilla is the mother-in-law of 43-year-old Daniel Vesper III, who awaits trial for allegedly running over an undercover police officer with a stolen van in the Honolulu Community College parking lot on Dec. 3, just down the street from the housing area.

Officers on the scene said the bust was not a big one, but important because of the number of complaints from neighbors.

"This is maintenance. ... We have to keep up," said Sgt. John Kawenaole.

He pointed to the dozens of kids watching the police operation before heading off to school. "Look at all these children here," he said. "These people (drug dealers) are doing this anywhere they can."

Neighbors said they had noticed drug activity for six to seven months and had made numerous complaints to police and Mayor Wright security.

"It's about time," said resident Nalo Cabuyaban. "Gotta get the rotten apple out. People like this gotta be stopped."

Paula, a neighbor of Avilla's who did not want her last name used, said drug trafficking out of the apartment was obvious.

"In and out, in and out, all the time," she said. "All night making noise while us people are trying to sleep so we can go to work.

"They've been causing problems here."

Police said they used a confidential informant to buy drugs from Avilla several times during the last month and a half. Kawenaole said Avilla does not rent the apartment, but lives there with her daughter, who was also arrested, and her grandchildren, ages 1 through 11.

Officials with the Palama Settlement Family Service Center, which has an office two floors below the unit, said they would try to contact other family members to care for the five children.

In the meantime they were being cared for by the state's Child Protective Services.

"It's sad. ... This isn't a bad family ... but they have made some bad choices," said Lynne Akana, program director for the service center. "Everybody loves their children."

As Avilla was being led out of the apartment, she was asked why she had been arrested. She said, "Nothing, I don't know."

Police said that when officers broke into the apartment, Avilla was trying to flush drugs down the toilet but that the drugs were recovered.