HAWAI'I BRIEFS
Murder suspect heads to court
Advertiser Staff
A 19-year-old man charged with killing his stepfather will make his initial court appearance today at District Court.
Timothy Adarna is charged with second-degree murder in the death of self-employed contractor Robert Ramos, 55, whose body was found in a burning bedroom at his 'Ewa Beach home at 91-623 Kilipoe St. on Nov. 16.
Adarna also is charged with first-degree arson.
According to a police document filed at District Court, homicide detective Ted Coons said the probable cause for Adarna's arrest was that he and his stepfather were at home when Adarna's mother, Marie Ramos, left for work at 8:10 a.m. on Nov. 16.
Coons said Ramos' body was covered with what appeared to be white paint and that small spots of what appeared to be white paint were recovered from Adarna's body during a meeting with police Nov. 17.
The document said a knife with blood stains on the blade, clothing with blood and paint stains, and a backpack with a receipt in Adarna's name were recovered from a trash can at a bus stop at the corner of Hanakahi and Hanaloa streets on the day of the fire.
Adarna is being held in lieu of $200,000 bail.
MAKIKI
NO ARRESTS MADE IN THEFT OF SAFE
Police as of yesterday had made no arrests in connection with the investigation into Friday's early morning burglary in which a safe was stolen from a Makiki home.
A homeowner, 79, was awakened by his barking dog and attacked from behind in his home by an male intruder.
A safe was taken from the bedroom, where the male intruder also confronted the homeowner's wife, 81. No injuries were reported in 4:05 a.m. incident.
MANOA
$360K GRANT FOR RESOURCE CENTER
The University of Hawai'i School of Social Work has been awarded a $360,000 federal grant to establish a national resource center for Native Hawaiian elders.
The center will be one of only three of its kind in the nation. Three social work professors — Noreen Mokuau, Colette Browne and Kathryn Braun — have been charged with setting up the center, which will provide technical assistance and training to improve services for Native Hawaiian seniors.
Native Hawaiians over 50 make up about 13 percent of the population in the Islands. Compared with other ethnic groups, they experience shorter life expectancies, more health problems and disabilities.
To provide better services for Native Hawaiian seniors, center staff members will meet with providers of elder and long-term care across the state.
O'AHU
GET PERMITS AT SATELLITE CITY HALLS
Permits required to legally purchase up to 5,000 firecrackers from licensed retailers can be obtained on O'ahu only at satellite city halls during normal business hours.
Firework vendors this year are not allowed to sell permits. An individual may purchase more than one permit, but each costs $25.
People may buy firecrackers from Dec. 26 through midnight Dec. 31. Fireworks play is restricted from 9 p.m. Dec. 31 to 1 a.m. Jan. 1.
The city sold 13,981 permits in 2005 and 12,662 permits in 2004.
IWILEI
SUSPECT DRIVES CAR INTO WOMAN
A 31-year-old woman visitor from Taiwan suffered minor injuries yesterday when a suspected thief reversed a car into her while trying to flee.
The incident occurred at 12:30 p.m. and led to the arrest of a 31-year-old Kane'ohe man, who was booked for first-degree unlawful entry into a motor vehicle and second-degree assault. The man was released pending further investigation at 5 p.m. yesterday.
Police said the woman and her husband, 32, returned to their rental car from shopping at a warehouse store on Alakawa Street and saw a man placing their luggage into his vehicle. He reversed the vehicle at high speed and grazed the woman, who suffered cuts to her palms, arms and legs.
The man was unable to get out of the parking lot before police arrived and arrested him.
