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Taking notice

» Nune Pat Fernandez has been awarded the 2004 Humanitarian Award by District 50 (Hawaii) of the International Association of Lions Clubs. Since 1948, Fernandez has appeared at more than 500 schools, hospitals, parades and special events, taking the roles of Santa Claus, Winnie the Pooh, the Easter Bunny, Pilgrims and Frosty the Snow Man. Most recently he has spent time with Jefferson Intermediate School's special-education students with other members of the Waikiki Sunrise Lions Club.

» Veteran Battalion Chief Alan Cordeiro has been promoted to assistant chief. Cordeiro, 51, has been with the Department of Fire and Public Safety for 29 years.

» The David H. Murdock Institute for Business and Culture donated $50,000 to the University of Hawaii at Manoa for flood relief efforts at Hamilton Library. The institute is the private foundation of Murdock, chairman and CEO of Dole Food Co. and Castle & Cooke Inc.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

WINDWARD OAHU

Body found during fire training mission

A fire rescue crew on a training mission found the body of a man below the Pali Lookout yesterday.

Officials said the firefighters were conducting rappelling drills when they found the decomposing body about 11:30 a.m. at the bottom of the cliff.

Police homicide investigators were called to the scene and said the victim might have committed suicide by jumping off the lookout. Police said yesterday there were no indications of foul play.

The case is being classified as an unattended death pending an autopsy.

WAIKIKI

2 men who allegedly stole purses are caught

Police arrested two males who allegedly stole purses from Japanese visitors Tuesday night in Waikiki.

The suspects, a 22-year-old Pearl City man and a 17-year-old juvenile male from Waipahu, allegedly approached the two female victims from behind and grabbed their purses at about 6:30 p.m. The women yelled for help and attempted to run after the suspects while being assisted by witnesses who also gave chase.

Police found the suspects near McCully Street and Ala Wai Boulevard and arrested them for investigation of second-degree theft.

LEEWARD OAHU

Man allegedly fires shots during argument

Police arrested a 48-year-old Makaha man who allegedly fired his rifle into the air several times Tuesday night.

Police said another man, 25, had been walking by the suspect's home near Kepue Street and Kepue Place when he allegedly got into an argument with the suspect and his sons about 11:23 p.m. During the argument, police said, the suspect left, then returned with a rifle, threatened to shoot the victim and fired three shots into the air.

Police were called, and the suspect was arrested for investigation of first-degree terroristic threatening and first-degree reckless endangering. Officers also recovered the suspect's rifle and three spent shell casings at the scene.

Firefighters battle series of 3 blazes

Leeward firefighters were busy with one fire after another yesterday, starting with a brush fire at Yokohama Bay at 2:10 a.m. That brush fire burned 15 acres and was put out by 4:05 a.m. Five minutes later, another brush fire was reported at St. John's Road.

Firefighters responding to that fire, which scorched five acres, were there until 6:30 a.m. As they were getting ready to leave that site, an abandoned building at 87-1021 Papaya Road was reported on fire.

The building on Papaya Road collapsed, and firefighters had the fire under control by 6:43 a.m. Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Emmit Kane said all three fires this morning were fought by the same group of about 30 firefighters from Makakilo, Kapolei, Waipahu, Waikele, Nanakuli and Waianae fire stations.