EAST OAHU

Suspect arrested in Oct. 27 robbery

Police arrested a 25-year-old man Monday in connection with a home-invasion robbery in St. Louis Heights on Oct. 27.

Police believed initially that the robbery was connected to a fatal stabbing in Pearl City earlier that day.

However, police said yesterday that the robbery, at 2012 Oswald St., may not be related after all to the murder of 29-year-old Brendan Caires.

“;At first the proximity was there and the descriptions matched,”; said homicide Lt. Bill Kato. “;But as the investigation went on it was obvious St. Louis was going off in another direction.”;

At about 11 p.m. on Oct. 27, three men forced their way into the St. Louis Heights home and were allegedly looking for someone and demanding drugs. Police said the suspects learned the person they were looking for no longer lived there, and then robbed the 10 people who were at the home.

Police arrested a suspect, of Makiki, at 6640 Hawaii Kai Drive on suspicion of first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, kidnapping and three outstanding warrants.

The second suspect in the robbery is described as in his early 20s, about 6 feet tall, and weighing about 170 to 180 pounds. He was wearing a black hoody, black pants and a dark-colored bandana.

The third suspect is said to be in his early 20s, 5-foot-7, and about 180 to 200 pounds. He also was wearing black pants and a black hoody. All three men were reported to have had assault-type firearms.

HONOLULU

Man accused in theft of equipment

Police arrested a 38-year-old man after he was found allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars in photography equipment.

At 11:42 p.m. Monday, an off-duty officer was headed home near the University of Hawaii at Manoa when he saw a man in a hooded sweatshirt carrying a large bag in the parking lot of a camera store that had closed for the night.

The officer reported the suspicious activity as the suspect left in a van. An on-duty officer tried to pull the van over but the suspect fled, police said. The van was tracked to a parking lot of an apartment complex but the suspect had fled on foot.

Officers found more than $30,000 worth of new and used photography equipment in the van, police said. The suspect was found nearby on Keeaumoku Street hiding between buildings. He was arrested on suspicion of first-degree theft and second-degree burglary.

Ex-HPD officer arrested in Oregon

A former Honolulu police officer was arrested in Oregon earlier this month and faces charges of encouraging child sexual abuse.

Mark Allen Heckerman turned himself in to authorities Nov. 17. The 42-year-old construction company owner faces 20 counts.

Oregon police said they received information about Heckerman from a nationwide pornography investigation in the spring. Investigators seized several digital images from his computer at home in March.

He also was in law enforcement in California. Oregon police said he is an 18-year veteran of law enforcement. He was an officer for the Honolulu Police Department from 1988 to 1990.

HPD plans holiday checkpoints

Sobriety checkpoints will be set up this Thanksgiving weekend and will continue throughout the holiday season, the Honolulu Police Department warned.

The checkpoints will be set up at unannounced times from today through Jan. 2 next year. As of yesterday, 42 people had been killed in traffic collisions this year on Oahu. Alcohol was a factor in at least seven of those crashes. There were 61 traffic fatalities on Oahu at this time last year.