Stolen Vehicle Investigation Leads to 4 Arrests

Authorities have arrested two women and two men considered armed and dangerous.

On Thursday, April 28, 2022, around 2:15 p.m., Hawai‘i police received information about the whereabouts of a stolen vehicle on Kalara Street, in the Shipman Industrial Park, in Kea‘au. As officers were preparing to converge onto the commercial property, the stolen vehicle exited onto Kalara Street. The operator, identified as 44-year-old Kiha Rodney Stone Kaahu, immediately accelerated to avoid police contact and drove the stolen vehicle across Kipimana Street into the field of a nearby nursery.

Moments later, Kaahu and his female passenger, 39-year-old Maria Kaululani Moala, were arrested as they attempted to flee the stolen vehicle that had become immobilized.

As police were further investigating at the Kalara Street business, another stolen vehicle was observed approaching the area. Upon seeing police in the area, the stolen vehicle operator immediately turned around and fled the area at a high rate of speed down Kipimana Street. Police were able to identify the operator as 48-year-old John Patrick Rapozo. A short time later the vehicle was involved in a traffic casualty near the intersection of Route 11 and Highway 139; the stolen vehicle left the scene and began traveling back towards Hilo. Shortly thereafter, witnesses observed Rapozo abandoning the vehicle on Shipman property off of Kipimana Street, opposite the entrance to the Shipman Industrial Park.

Police immediately created a perimeter of the wooded area where Rapozo was last seen. At 5:45 p.m., Rapozo was located hiding in the center-median area of Highway 11 and Kipimana Street. He was arrested without further incident.

Both stolen vehicles were recovered as evidence while detectives obtain search warrants.

Tiarre R.M.K. Kobayashi, age 23, was also arrested on Kalara Street, for numerous outstanding warrants.

Kaahu, Moala, and Rapozo were arrested for offenses related to being within the stolen vehicles. Ropozo was also arrested for outstanding warrants. Upon execution of the search warrants on the stolen vehicles, detectives will confer with the County Prosecutors Office to discuss appropriate charges of the involved persons in this investigation.