POLICE / FIRE

WINDWARD OAHU

House fire causes $200,000 damage

Fire heavily damaged a townhouse unit yesterday near Aikahi Park in Kailua.

The fire at 44-340 Olina St., Unit 2, was reported at 7:23 a.m. About 25 firefighters had the fire under control by 7:31 a.m. and extinguished by 8:21 a.m., according to Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Earle Kealoha.

Damage to the unit was estimated at $200,000, Kealoha said. He said the property manager said the unit was owned by a retired man.

An adjoining unit sustained smoke and water damage estimated at $10,000, Kealoha added.

There were no injuries. The cause is under investigation.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Kauai blaze toll set at $30,000

Fire caused $30,000 in damage to a home in Hanamaulu, Kauai, according to a county news release.

The fire was reported at 6:21 p.m. Sunday at a home on Hehi Road by passers-by who noticed the fire and stopped to help, the release said.

The fire was extinguished by 6:50 p.m. The cause is under investigation.

EAST OAHU

Wave sweeps teen into the ocean

A teenage boy was injured yesterday when a wave swept him off the rocks near the Halona Blowhole.

The youth managed to make his way to shore at Eternity Beach south of the Blowhole Lookout after the 12:20 p.m. incident. Bystanders threw him a bodyboard and guided him to the safe landing, said Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city Emergency Services Department.

A city ambulance crew stabilized the injured boy and transported him in serious condition to a city hospital.

Cheplic said the incident highlights the importance of heeding warning signs about potentially dangerous ocean conditions.

“;The waves were 4- to 8-foot faces, bordering on a high-surf advisory for the east shoreline,”; Cheplic said. “;The conditions were treacherous.

“;The best advice is to swim at a guarded beach. In this case, that was just 200 yards away at Sandy Beach.”;

COURTS

Man allegedly urinates on woman

A California man is in federal custody for assault for allegedly urinating Saturday on a 66-year-old woman aboard a Continental Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu.

Jerome Kenneth Kingzio made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court yesterday.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang ordered Kingzio released on a $10,000 signature bond to a federal halfway house from the federal detention center pending a preliminary hearing on the charge next month.

The woman told authorities she was watching the in-flight movie when Kingzio, who was seated in the row behind the woman, stood up in the aisle next to her and urinated on her right arm, side and leg. She said she pushed Kingzio away, but he continued to urinate.

The woman's account was backed up by a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives special agent who was seated two rows behind the woman, according to court documents.

The woman said Kingzio had been annoying other passengers, and she and the special agent said Kingzio had been drinking alcohol.

His lawyer said Kingzio was on his way to Guam to live with his parents.

Former kickboxer sentenced to prison

A federal judge sentenced former kickboxing champion Danny “;Hard As”; Steele to 15 months in prison yesterday for fondling a female passenger aboard a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu in December 2007.

Steele, 39, has already served six months of his sentence. The judge ordered him into custody last September for willfully violating terms of pretrial release.

A jury found Steele guilty last Dec. 9.

The victim testified that she fell asleep aboard the flight and woke up twice to find Steele fondling her. She said Steele blocked her exit but that she was able to report the incident and get help after Steele went to the bathroom.

His lawyer said Steele drank alcohol before and during the flight. She also said he had been diagnosed as suffering from a mental condition but stopped taking his medication prior to the incident.

The judge granted Steele's request to recommend a prison facility that has a hospital where he can receive continued treatment for his condition.