The Hawai’i Police Department has charged a Waikoloa woman and Waimea man with a number of drug charges following the investigation of a tire theft at a tire store in Waimea.
On Monday afternoon, South Kohala officers learned of a theft that occurred in Waimea, A man reportedly stole two tires from a store located on Mamalahoa Highway and then left the scene in a Jeep Cherokee driven by a woman.
Investigation into the theft led to the identity of the driver as Peggy Ann Lasater, 56, of Waikoloa.
Later Monday at about 6:50 p.m., an off-duty South Kohala officer saw the Jeep on Kawaihae Road. Officers who were on-duty stopped the Jeep at the entrance to Spencer Beach Park. Upon stopping the Jeep, officers observed the tires in the back of the vehicle.
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Both occupants, Lasater and 37-year-old Isaac Gaub of Waimea, were arrested and taken to the Kona police cellblock as Area II Criminal Investigations Section detectives continued to investigate.
After obtaining a search warrant, police, along with detectives from the Area II Vice Section, searched the vehicle on Wednesday. During the search, the stolen tires were recovered, in addition to 8.2 grams of a crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine, 2.2 grams of a black tar-like substance suspected to be heroin, 4.2 grams of a green leafy substance suspected to be marijuana, 13 gel capsules containing a total of 3.3 grams of a yellow rock-like substance suspected to be cocaine, and about 186 unprescribed prescription pills.
Detectives charged Lasater and Gaub on Wednesday each with second-degree theft, second-degree meth trafficking, four counts of third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, three counts of second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, five counts of possessing drug paraphernalia, and one count each of third-degree promotion of a harmful drug and third-degree promotion of a detrimental drug.
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Lasater and Gaub were held on $238,000 bail each and remained at the cellblock pending their initial court appearance Thursday.
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