Kauai family escapes home fire uninjured

A family of three escaped safely yesterday from a fire that engulfed their Kilauea home on Kauai.

The blaze broke out at about 6:25 a.m. in a work shed that was attached to the Hookui Street house and spread throughout the home.

Firefighters had the blaze under control at 7:20 a.m. and extinguished at 9:30 a.m.

There were no injuries, according to Kauai Fire Chief Robert Westerman.

The American Red Cross assisted the family — a man, a woman and their adult son — who will be staying with relatives.

Damage was estimated at $250,000 to the wooden home and its contents. The cause of the fire has been classified as undetermined.

Victim IDs homeless man as his attacker

Police arrested a 23-year-old homeless man Monday who allegedly punched and robbed a 22-year-old man in Honolulu last month.

Police said the 23-year-old man approached the younger man, pushed him down and caused him to strike the back of his head on the ground.

The man then allegedly held the younger man down, removed cash from his pocket and fled with the money.

The victim identified the suspect in a photo lineup Friday, police said.

The suspect was found and arrested Monday.

Illegally parked car leads to arrest of 3

A patrol officer on routine patrol in the Ala Moana area arrested three people after checking on a car that apparently was parked illegally.

The officer noticed a 1996 two-door Acura parked on Rycroft Street outside a parking stall, police said. The three people in the car got out and walked to a nearby hotel.

The officer checked and learned the car was stolen. The officer located the suspects — two males, ages 17 and 26, and a woman, 21, and arrested them on suspicion of unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle.

Police said they also found drugs and drug paraphernalia as well as personal information that did not belong to the suspects.

Police seek public's help to capture bank robber

Police are asking for the public's help in identifying a man who may have robbed at least two banks.

Police released a surveillance photo showing the suspect wearing a surgical mask during the robbery of the Central Pacific Bank at 1338 S. Beretania St. Monday morning.

The man brandished a handgun, approached the teller and demanded money before fleeing on foot toward Kinau Street, police said.

The man is described as in his 30s or 40s, 6 feet tall, weighing 140 to 180 pounds with brown hair. He was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, blue denim long pants, white sneakers and a white baseball cap with a dark bill and unknown logo.

It is a similar description to the suspect who robbed the First Hawaiian Bank at 250 Ward Ave. on Feb. 24.

Police said two other robberies of the same First Hawaiian branch last month appear to be connected, but they are not saying whether the same person committed all four crimes. The other robberies on Feb. 11 and 16 did not involve a gun, and the suspect did not wear a mask.

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