---

---

» The Kona Brewing Co. at Koko Marina raised $2,500 for the Bishop Museum Association as part of its first-anniversary celebration. The funds will be used to support cultural and natural science programs. The Kona Brewing Co. donated $1 to the museum for every pint of beer sold during a two-week period in December.

» Mental Health Kokua has been awarded a $5,500 grant from Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle to extend more housing resources and mental health services to homeless adults.

» Friends of Hawaii Charities has received $13,500 from USB Financial Services to extend its efforts to raise funds for state charities supporting women, youth and basic needs programs.

» The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded the Hawaii State Public Library System an $84,000 "Staying Connected" grant to provide three years of staff training on new computer equipment and public service.

» The Palolo Chinese Home has received $30,000 from the Gwenfread Elaine Allen Fund and the May Templeton Hopper Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation to support the home's Hawaii Neighborhood Outreach to the Aged program for frail seniors. The program is trying to alleviate the critical statewide shortage of affordable health-care options for middle- and lower-middle income seniors.

---

Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

EAST OAHU
Colorado woman drowns at Hanauma

A 48-year-old Colorado woman apparently drowned at Hanauma Bay yesterday morning while snorkeling.

Police said the woman was with her family when she was found floating face down at 7:45 a.m. yesterday.

CENTRAL OAHU
Ex-husband arrested in attempted assault

Police arrested a 29-year-old man for allegedly shattering a car window while his 5-year-old child was in the back seat Thursday night.

Police said the suspect saw his ex-wife with her new boyfriend in a vehicle stopped at a traffic light in Wahiawa about 10 p.m.

The suspect allegedly shattered the driver's-side window in an attempt to assault his ex-wife's boyfriend.

A police officer who was across the street saw the incident and arrested the suspect for investigation of unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle.

HONOLULU
Teen girl alleges rape by 19-year-old

Police are investigating the alleged sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl in Pauoa.

Police said the girl reported that a 19-year-old man whom she knows assaulted her sometime between 2 and 4 a.m. yesterday on Kanealii Avenue.

The suspect has not been found, police said.

LEEWARD OAHU
Pearl City man dies of accident injuries

A 77-year-old Pearl City man died from injuries he suffered in an accident on May 24.

Police said the man was driving along Moanalua Road near Hoomalu Street when he got out of the car as it was moving. The car rolled downhill and he tried to stop it. Police said he was hit by the driver's-side door and fell, hitting his head on the roadway.

He was taken to the Queen's Medical Center in good condition, police said, but his condition deteriorated and he died at 7:46 p.m. June 9.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Suspects sought in theft of painting

Big Island police are looking for an art thief or thieves who stole a large painting valued at $2,850 from a Kailua-Kona art gallery. The painting, called "Night After II," is described as a woman in a red dress putting on a red shoe with a male asleep on a bed in the background.

Police said the painting was taken sometime between 9:30 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. Thursday.

The 42-by-42-inch painting had a black backdrop and was in a pewter frame.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call officer Edwin Buyten of the Kona Patrol at 326-4646 or the police non-emergency number at 935-3311, or call CrimeStoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona.

Big Island residents warned of lottery scam

Big Island police are warning residents of another foreign lottery scam.

Residents are receiving letters from Canada and Spain announcing they have won a large amount of money in a lottery. Recipients are told to either send a registered check for a nominal amount or send personal bank account information.

Police warn residents not to send any personal bank account information to any unknown person or company, because thieves can use such information "to empty a victim's bank account."

Police also remind residents that legitimate lotteries do not ask participants to send checks or provide bank account information to collect winnings.

---

Felon could return to prison after threat

A convicted felon who got out of state prison six months ago is in trouble again, this time for threatening a U.S. Social Security Administration employee.

Vernon Leroy Mara, 40, of Waianae made his initial appearance yesterday in U.S. District Court, charged with threatening a federal employee. The offense is punishable by a maximum of one year in federal prison.

Mara allegedly approached a Social Security service representative April 12 and requested that his benefits be reinstated because he had just been released from prison.

He gave his Social Security number as requested, but when told that their policy requires that he produce valid identification and release papers from the prison, he allegedly began calling her vulgar names.

The service representative told him to calm down and that she would help him, but Mara allegedly continued calling her names. "We all gotta leave here sometime. I'll find your house and burn it down to get me a fix," he said, according to an affidavit filed by Richard Riccio, an inspector with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Mara has five felony convictions and 23 misdemeanor convictions.

He is expected back in federal court on Friday, at which time a trial date will be set.

Animal cruelty suspect is indicted for taxes

A former Hawaii Kai woman awaiting trial in Honolulu District Court on multiple counts of cruelty to animals has been indicted for allegedly failing to file general excise tax returns.

A four-count indictment filed Wednesday in Circuit Court charges Lucy L. Kagan with willful failure to file general excise tax returns and tax evasion for 2001 and 2002.

In May 2003, 27 dogs and two cats were removed from a Hawaii Kai townhouse where Kagan was staying after firefighters responded to a kitchen fire and discovered the animals living in what Hawaiian Humane Society inspectors described as squalid conditions.

The humane society opened an investigation that later resulted in 25 misdemeanor criminal charges against her in January. Kagan has denied mistreating the animals and said she took good care of them.

Kagan could not be reached for comment on the latest charges.

Man accused of killing wife cannot see kids

A Family Court judge has ordered a Kapahulu real estate agent accused of killing his wife a week ago to stay away from his two minor children.

Judge Darryl Choy issued the temporary restraining order Tuesday, three days after Danny Lam called 911 and told a dispatcher he had killed his wife.

Melodie Lam, 41, was found in a bedroom lying on a mattress with a hammer believed to have been the murder weapon lying near her body. She suffered from head injuries. The couple's two children, a 6-year-old boy and 8-year-old girl, were also in the home sleeping at the time. The boy is alleged to have been in the same room where the mother was found.

Petitioner Lisa Tang filed for the restraining order on behalf of the minor children, saying that they have been subjected to extreme psychological abuse and are in immediate danger from their father because he allegedly killed Melodie Lam while the children were in the home.

Howard Luke, attorney for Lam, said Lam's children are in no danger from their father. "He loves them very much, misses them terribly and was extremely concerned about their welfare prior to this incident."

The temporary restraining order is in effect until Sept. 12. Meanwhile, a hearing on the matter is scheduled in Family Court for June 28, at which time the court has the discretion to extend it.

Lam, who was indicted Wednesday on a charge of second-degree murder, remains in custody, unable to post $500,000 bail. He is expected to be arraigned in Circuit Court on Monday.