EAST OAHU

Missing fisherman is sought in Kahala

Honolulu Fire Department helicopter and rescue crews were searching last night for a missing fisherman who was last seen at about 4:30 p.m. yesterday near Kahala Beach.

Fire department spokesman Capt. Earle Kealoha said the man was reported missing at about 7 p.m. He said the diver had been spearfishing with about five other people.

They left the water to go to a party and noticed the man was not there.

Each had thought the missing diver was with one of the other people, Kealoha said.

The men returned to Kahala Beach Park and found a family who said they saw a man matching the missing diver's description walking toward Kahala Avenue.

The Fire Department planned to search until about 10 p.m. and resume the search if the man had not been located.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Scam artists act like Samaritans

HILO » A “;good Samaritan”; in a Hilo shopping center parking lot offered to help a woman whose car supposedly had a defective wheel, Big Island police said.

The helpful man and a partner charged the woman for their help, but police found nothing wrong with the wheel.

Police are warning the public to beware of scams similar to this one, which took place Dec. 11.

After the first man got the woman's attention, a second drove up in a white pickup truck, they said.

A woman, a child and a baby sat in the pickup the whole time events unfolded, they said.

The men jacked up the woman's car, pretended to inspect it and told her they would pay for a new part with their credit card. She then gave them cash, supposedly to cover the credit card charge.

The scammers then drove away and never returned. One was described as an older man, about 5 feet 6 inches tall, with dark, “;spiked”; hair.

The younger man was described as “;possibly a teenager”; with a light mustache.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call police at 935-3311 or CrimeStoppers at 961-8300.

CENTRAL OAHU

Home fire forces family to relocate

A fire on Christmas Eve displaced a family at the Helemano Military Reservation in Central Oahu.

At about 5:47 p.m. federal firefighters responded to a fire at a home on Kaloko Court. About half an hour later, the fire was extinguished, said Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Earle Kealoha.

The fire, which was caused by an unattended candle, caused about $36,000 in damage. The Red Cross was assisting the family.

Valuables and safe stolen from home

Police are looking for a burglar or burglars who stole a safe from a Wahiawa home.

At 10:30 p.m. Wednesday a 39-year-old woman returned home to find that her safe was missing.

Police said the safe contained old coins, jewelry and personal documents.

Police said there were no witnesses.