Baby's injury prompts investigation

A 1-year-old baby was taken to Wahiawa General Hospital at about 4 p.m. yesterday with traumatic head injuries.

The child reportedly fell out of his or her car seat, according to initial reports.

No one was arrested, but Child Welfare Services is taking custody of the baby, police said.

Police classified the case as endangering the welfare of a minor, a misdemeanor, and it will be further investigated by detectives with the Child Abuse and Family Violence section.

Visitor missing off Kaanapali beach

Maui Fire Department and the Coast Guard were searching yesterday for a 20-year-old Canadian man who was snorkeling earlier in the day in the area off the Aston Kaanapali resort.

Authorities said Bryce Esler, a visitor from British Columbia, was snorkeling alone in the late morning. He is described as Caucasian and was wearing black shorts. A Coast Guard spokesman said Esler was vacationing with his girlfriend and her parents.

The Coast Guard sent out a helicopter from Barbers Point on Oahu and a boat from the Maui Coast Guard Station. Fire personnel were searching offshore near the resort. The Coast Guard planned to continue searching through last night.

Man who jumped off car identified

The Medical Examiner's Office identified the 49-year-old man who died after jumping off a police car in Waikiki as Donald Houck Jr.

Houck had no permanent address, the officials said.

Witnesses saw Houck climb onto a parked police car at 3:47 a.m. Friday, stand on the roof and jump onto Kalakaua Avenue, striking his head on the pavement, police said.

Houck died of head injuries, but the manner of death has been deferred, the office said.

Man arrested in attempted robbery

Police arrested a man last night in connection with an attempted bank robbery in Mapunapuna that occurred 15 minutes before a bank robbery in Kalihi Wednesday.

The man was booked in connection with the 3:40 p.m. attempted robbery at the First Hawaiian Bank branch at 100 Mapunapuna St.

Police said a suspect handed a teller a note and demanded money. When the suspect mumbled something to the 26-year-old teller, she asked him to speak up, police said. He fled without getting any money.

Fifteen minutes later an American Savings Bank branch at 1851 N. King St. was robbed. Police said a man demanded money from a teller before he fled in the Diamond Head direction on North King Street.

The suspect in the robbery is described as in his 30s to 40s, 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet tall and weighing 160 to 180 pounds. He has dark blond hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a blue baseball cap with a logo, a dark green T-shirt, dark long pants and black shoes.

Since Feb. 11 there have been five bank robberies on Oahu, four of which were at First Hawaiian Bank branches.

Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.

Woman's body found in gulch

Big Island detectives are investigating the death of a 30-year-old woman whose body was found yesterday morning in Moanalulu Gulch off Highway 19.

The woman was identified as Jonelle Alvarez of Honomu.

The body was recovered close to the 24-mile marker near Papaaloa, north of Hilo, police said. Fire personnel assisted police in locating and recovering the body, which was found at 9:30 a.m. at the bottom of the 120-foot-deep gulch.

North Hilo patrol officers were called initially to the area of Moanalulu Bridge on the Hawaii Belt Road at 2:10 a.m. yesterday. A witness reported that a woman had jumped or fallen from the bridge, police said.

An autopsy is scheduled for today to determine the cause of death.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 935-3311 or CrimeStoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona.