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$2.4M to help state prepare for attacks

A federal grant of more than $2.4 million has been awarded to Hawaii to help hospitals prepare to cope with any bioterrorism incident, U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye has announced. The state Department of Health will receive the grant for technical assistance for hospital bioterrorism preparedness.

The grant was one of five from the federal agency. Others: $741,029 to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, $332,400 to the Department of Health for the Hawaii Aging and Disability Resource Center, $49,105 to the West Hawaii Community Center in Kailua-Kona and $49,105 to the Hoola Lahui Hawaii in Lihue.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Hanalei man dies after driving SUV into bridge

HANALEI, Kauai » A 53-year-old Hanalei resident died Wednesday night in a one-car crash.

Kauai police said the man was the lone occupant of a Nissan SUV that was heading south on Kuhio Highway when it hit the Waipa Bridge in Hanalei. Speed might have been a factor, police said.

The accident was Kauai's third traffic fatality of the year.

WAIKIKI

Woman uses pen to fend off attacker

A 24-year-old Waikiki woman used a pen to protect herself from a would-be kidnapper on Wednesday, police said.

The victim was walking home around 4:45 p.m. and stopped to read a sign when a man grabbed her from behind and pushed her into the bushes, police said.

During the struggle, the victim reached into her bag, grabbed a pen and stabbed the suspect, police said. The suspect released his hold on the victim and fled, police said.

Police have classified the case as an attempted kidnapping.

Man caught on tape stealing car at hotel

Police are looking for a male who stole a rental car from a Waikiki hotel while being recorded by a video surveillance camera.

Police said the suspect entered a hotel room at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel, 120 Kaiulani Ave., last Friday and took personal items belonging to a 40-year-old woman. He also took her rental car keys and was recorded on tape as he drove the vehicle out of the parking garage, according to police.

Officers found the stolen car in Waimanalo on Monday and arrested a 31-year-old woman who was driving it. They also recovered property stolen from the hotel room.

Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or by dialing *CRIME on a cellular phone.

LEEWARD OAHU

Boy, 16, is arrested in 3 attacks on teens

Police arrested a 16-year-old boy who allegedly has robbed other juveniles at Waipahu bus stops several times this year.

Police said the first case happened on Feb. 25. The suspect allegedly asked a 14-year-old boy for money and punched him in the nose when the victim tried to back away. The boy was assaulted again by a second suspect when blood from his nose dripped on the second suspect's clothes, police said.

The other two cases were two robberies, about 15 minutes apart, on July 6.

The first one occurred about 12:15 a.m. Police said the suspect wrapped his arm around the neck of a 16-year-old boy, punched his head and kneed him when the victim said he did not have money.

In the second case, at about 12:30 a.m., the suspect allegedly demanded money from a 14-year-old boy and grabbed cash out of the victim's wallet.

Police arrested the suspect yesterday on suspicion of second-degree assault in all three cases and released him pending an investigation.

Driver arrested after car found to be stolen

Police arrested a 42-year-old man who was allegedly driving a stolen car and forced a patrol officer to swerve out of the way in Pearl City early Wednesday.

The officer said that at about 2 a.m. he noticed a Nissan turn onto Kamehameha Highway from the 7-Eleven store near Lehua Avenue.

The driver turned into the officer's lane, forcing him to swerve, police said. The officer then checked the vehicle's license plates and learned that the car was stolen. The officer stopped the car and arrested the driver for investigation of auto theft.