Man Arrested, Charged in Kona Hotel Burglary

A Honaunau man who reportedly jumped from balcony to balcony at a Kona hotel and attempted to steal items has been arrested and charged.

The man, identified as 29-year-old Elijah Prevetz-Lafayette, was also wanted on a $10,000 bench warrant.

Kona patrol officers responded to the hotel, located along the 75-5700 block of Ali’i Drive, where they found hotel employees holding Lafayette just after 5:30 a.m.

Witnesses told police that they saw a man, later determined to be Prevetz-Lafayette, jumping from balcony to balcony before entering an occupied room through the balcony’s screen door.

Police say that Prevetz-Lafayette reportedly removed three bags and returned to the lanai before a 20-year-old woman from Switzerland struggled with the him on the lanai gaining control of the bags.

No injuries were reported as result of the struggle.

Prevetz-Lafayette was then observed by hotel employees jumping to another balcony and entering an unoccupied room. He left the hotel room through the front door and fled to the parking lot.

In the parking lot, employees detained Prevetz-Lafayette until police arrived.

Lanai screens entering both rooms were damaged.

Prevetz-Lafayette was arrested and charged with contempt of court. He was taken to the Kona police cellblock as Criminal Investigations Section detectives continued to investigate the hotel incident.

On Wednesday afternoon Prevetz-Lafayette was charged with burglary, theft, criminal property damage and criminal trespass. Bail for the charges was set at $37,000 and he remained at the cellblock awaiting his initial court appearance Thursday.