Pāhoa man charged following burglary of 2 homes on Hawai‘i Island

A man from Pāhoa is facing burglary and theft charges after breaking into two homes in October, one of which was tented for fumigation.

The Hawai‘i County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed two separate felony charging documents against 49-year-old Tyson Kyle Prim on Dec. 18. The first was for a burglary at a home in Kea‘au on Oct. 20, and the other was for an incident at another residence in Hilo on Oct. 29.

Prim was also charged with four outstanding Summons or Arrest on Probation No Bail warrants. His total bail amount was set at $111,000. He is scheduled to appear for an arraignment and plea in Hilo Circuit Court on Dec. 30.

Through the course of their investigation into these two incidents, detectives from Hawai‘i Police Department’s Area I Criminal Investigation Section identified Prim as a suspect. He was taken into custody on Dec. 16 in the Panaewa area of Hilo, where he was arrested for his outstanding warrants.

Between the two cases, Prim was charged with the following:

• Two counts of first-degree burglary
• Third-degree criminal property damage
• Two counts of second-degree theft
• Three counts of habitual property crime

On Oct. 20, Puna Patrol officers responded to a report of a burglary at a residence in the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision. The victim reported arriving home to find that someone had broken into the home, causing damage to the entry area.

The victim reported that property was stolen from the home to include jewelry items, according to a press release from police on Monday.

The second incident occurred days later on Oct. 29 at a residence, which was tented for fumigation, in Hilo on the 1000 block of Lei Hinahina Street.

According to the press release from police, pest control workers arrived at the home in the morning to begin removing the tent from the structure when an employee saw a male suspect fleeing on foot from the tented home and discovered that a portion of the tent had been cut.

The employee chased the suspect, who was seen to leave in a silver older model Mazda Tribute SUV with unknown license plates. The victim reported that jewelry items had been stolen from within the home.

The Area I Criminal Investigation Section is continuing this investigation. Police ask anyone with information to contact Detective David Po’ohina of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at 808-961-2385, or via email at David.Poohina@hawaiipolice.gov.