4 runaway teens found in East Hawai‘i during joint law enforcement operation

Hawai‘i Island police teamed up with federal and state law enforcement agencies Friday and found four teenagers, reported as runaways, in the Hilo and Puna areas.

The search was part of the FBI’s Operation Cross Country XIII, a coordinated operation among other federal agencies, state and local police, and social services agencies across the country to locate and recover runaways considered “high risk” and/or “endangered.”

Friday’s operation also included assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement, Missing Child Center Hawai’i, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, along with Child Welfare Services.

Daw enforcement officials located the following juveniles who had previously been reported as runaways:

• Serenity Salmo-Kaawa, 15-year-old female
• U‘ilani Leaverton, 15-year-old female
• Shaelynn Gomes, 16-year-old female
• Momi Leonard, 16-year-old female

Detectives are still searching for 17-year-old Tanaiyah Hao-Kallio. She is 5-foot-5, 140 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She is known to frequent the Ka‘ū District.

Police ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of Hao-Kallio, or other runaways, to contact the Hawai’i Police Department’s non-emergency number at 808-935-3311.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the island-wide Crime Stoppers number at 808-961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.