Electrical short in lamp started fire in home

Fire investigators determined yesterday a fire that destroyed a three-bedroom home in St. Louis Heights accidentally started with an electrical short in a lamp in the living room.

Damage was $350,000 to the home and the contents, said Honolulu fire Capt. Terry Seelig.

The fire started at about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday at 1567 Bertram St. and was extinguished by firefighters about four hours later.

Alcohol, speed possible factors in Maui fatality

Alcohol and speed are possible factors in a single-motorcycle crash that killed a 31-year-old Kahului man early yesterday morning on Maui.

At about 2:10 a.m. Sean P. Rosete lost control while driving a 2007 Kawasaki on Kamehameha Avenue at School Street and drove onto the right shoulder, then slid onto the roadway in Kahului, said Traffic Section Lt. Barry Aoki in a Maui police report.

Rosete, who was not wearing a helmet, was ejected from the bike. He was alone on the bike and died at the scene, police said.

It was the 21st traffic fatality on Maui in 2009 compared with 21 at the same time last year.

Woman, 23, accuses man, 73, of sex assault

Police arrested a 73-year-old man who allegedly broke into a 23-year-old woman's home to sexually assault her.

The Kaneohe woman reported the incident to police Wednesday at about 12:30 p.m. after the family acquaintance entered her home without permission and assaulted her, police said.

Police arrested the Ahuimanu man at his home about an hour later on suspicion of first-degree sexual assault, first-degree burglary and kidnapping.

Man arrested for alleged kidnapping, extortion

Police arrested a 35-year-old man Wednesday who allegedly kidnapped a 53-year-old man and threatened to take over a video game business.

About 8 p.m. Nov. 1 the business owner met with the suspect in Honolulu to discuss money the younger man owed regarding the business. Police said the two men are partners in the business, which apparently is online only.

The suspect assaulted the man, told him that he was taking over the business and threatened to hurt him if he did not leave the island, police said. The suspect turned himself in Wednesday and was booked on suspicion of first-degree extortion and kidnapping.

He was released pending investigation.

Suspect tries to hit man with stick, strikes dog

A 43-year-old man was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly tried to attack a 25-year-old man with a stick in Waikiki and instead hit the man's dog.

Police said that at about 11:45 p.m. Tuesday the suspect swung the stick twice at the victim who was with his dog, but missed both times.

Then he hit the dog with the stick, police said. The suspect tried to strike the man two more times but missed, police said.

Responding officers saw the man trying to attack the victim with the stick and arrested him on suspicion of first-degree terroristic threatening and second-degree cruelty to animals.

Charges are pending in bank robbery case

Federal charges are pending against a 62-year-old homeless man who allegedly robbed a Kalihi bank Tuesday.

The man allegedly entered the bank at 9:28 a.m. and handed the teller a demand note.

The teller handed over an undisclosed amount of cash to the suspect, who fled on foot.

Officers later found and detained a possible suspect who was identified at a field lineup and then arrested on suspicion of second-degree robbery, police said.

Woman fights off attack by 'smelly' man

A woman reported to police she was attacked by an unknown man at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the War Memorial Baseball Fields in Wailuku.

Police said the man allegedly grabbed her, displayed a knife and threatened to rape her.

The woman, who was waiting for her son, who was attending an exercise class, had gone into the restroom between the tennis courts and the baseball fields when she was attacked.

The woman believes she broke one of the fingers on his right hand as she broke free, police said.

Police provided a description of the man as 5 feet 8 inches tall, of unknown build, possibly homeless, “;really smelly,”; slightly unshaven, wearing a long-sleeved black shirt and jeans. He had a 2-inch tattoo of a cross on his left hand.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Clyde Holokai at 270-6518 or Maui police dispatch at 244-6400.