HONOLULU

Motorcyclist dies in crash in Maili

A 44-year-old Waianae man died yesterday when he was dragged by a school bus as he was driving his motorcycle on Farrington Highway in Maili.

Police said Wesley Garcia tried to make a quick left turn onto Farrington from Lopikane Street in front of the bus when the bike lost traction and overturned about 1:15 p.m. Garcia was then hit and dragged by the bus, police said.

Garcia, who was not wearing a helmet, was taken with severe head injuries to Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center and died at about 2 p.m.

Police closed the Waianae-bound lanes of Farrington for about three hours to investigate.

Garcia is the sixth motorcycle fatality and the 17th traffic fatality on Oahu this year.

Bank robber sought in McCully heist

Police are asking for the public's help to find a man who robbed a McCully bank yesterday.

At about 12:05 p.m., the man demanded money from a teller at Central Pacific Bank at 2002 S. King St. The teller complied, and the man left with an undisclosed amount of cash, police said. He was last seen in the bank parking lot heading toward Young Street.

Police described him as in his 30s, about 5 feet 9 inches tall and 180 pounds.

He was wearing a white baseball cap with a black design, a black T-shirt with a design, light blue denim shorts and black sandals.

Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME from a cell phone.

Teenager arrested in tow-truck theft

Police arrested a 19-year-old man who was found allegedly driving a stolen tow truck.

On Dec. 13, a towing company in Kalihi reported the theft of one of its towing vehicles, a 2004 Ford truck. Yesterday, shortly before 9:30 p.m., the company's owner saw the truck being driven around Kalihi and called police.

Officers pulled the truck over. It was found to have license plates registered to a 1991 Ford truck, and the vehicle identification number was altered, police said. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of auto theft.

LEEWARD OAHU

Sexual assault spurs manhunt

Police need the public's help in finding a man who sexually assaulted a girl in a public restroom in Waianae, a CrimeStoppers news release said. At about 3:15 p.m. on Jan. 13, the man, in his 30s, forced his way into a restroom stall and assaulted the girl at the Waianae Gym, 85-471 Farrington Highway, police said.

He fled when the girl screamed for help. Police did not disclose the girl's age.

The man is about 6 feet tall. He was wearing a black T-shirt, blue denim shorts and a bandanna. He had a piece of jewelry called an ear tunnel in his left ear.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-3800 or *CRIME from a cellular phone.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Neighbors' hoses knock down blaze

A lit cigarette may have started a fire that caused $15,000 in damage to the garage of a Kailua-Kona home, according to a news release from the Hawaii County Fire Department.

The fire started at about 10:30 Tuesday morning at 73-1108 Kaiminani Drive. Neighbors using hoses put the fire out before firefighters arrived, the release said.

About seven people lived in the two-family home. No one was injured.