Kona Man Arrested, Charged in Vehicle Thefts

An incident involving a stolen truck in the area of the Makalei Golf Course has led to the arrest of a 25-year-old Kona man.

The Hawai’i Police Department responded to an 11:10 a.m. report on June 14 from a 61-year-old Kona man who claimed that his pickup truck with an attached utility trailer had been stolen from an area near Hawai’i Belt Road and the Makalei Golf Course.

According to police, the victim located the truck two miles from where it was stolen, but items were missing from the vehicle.

A police investigation later led to the identity of the suspect as 25-year-old Christiansan Ikaika Kaawa.

Kaawa was arrested on Monday at 3 a.m. during a traffic stop on Ane Keohokalole Highway. Officers took him to the Kona police cellblock as detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigation Section continued to investigate.

As detectives investigated, they learned that Kaawa was also responsible for stealing an all-terrain vehicle reported missing from Holualoa between June 13 and June 15.

On Tuesday at 4:15 p.m., HPD charged Kaawa with second-degree theft and two counts of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle. His bail was set at $6,000 and he remained at the cellblock awaiting his initial court appearance on Wednesday.