Police arrested a 24-year-old certified nursing assistant at a Kahala nursing home Wednesday night in connection with the sexual assaults of three elderly female patients over a one-month period.

The man was arrested at Kahala Nui, 4389 Malia St., on suspicion of five counts of third-degree sexual assault, and had not been charged as of yesterday. A Kahala Nui spokeswoman said police had called the man to the facility Wednesday night.

Police said the sexual assaults occurred between May 1 and June 1, and that witnesses saw the man sexually assaulting the women.

Two of the women are 92 years old and one is 89. They are all patients at Hiolani Care Center, the 60-bed skilled nursing facility at Kahala Nui, which is a combination independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing facility.

“;Kahala Nui values its residents and has a zero tolerance policy for any type of abuse,”; Pat Duarte, Kahala Nui's chief executive officer, said in a written statement. “;Through an internal investigation, it was discovered that the individual in question had inappropriately touched three residents in our skilled nursing center.”;

Upon learning of the allegations earlier this week, Kahala Nui officials immediately relieved the employee of his duties. He was fired Wednesday.

Duarte said Kahala Nui reported the matter to the state Health Department and to police “;to prevent this individual from committing such acts in the future.”;