HPD Charges Kona Man for Theft, Drugs

Paul Ebel. PC: HPD

A Kailua-Kona man has been arrested for several offenses including property crimes following an incident last week.

On April 30, at about 2:20 a.m., Hawai‘i County Police observed a man dressed in dark-colored clothing damaging and removing items from a property located on the 76-6000 block of Kuakini Highway in Kailua-Kona.

Upon seeing officers, Paul Ebel, 52, immediately ran away on foot, police said in a media release. Officers gave pursuit but lost him in the heavy brush. Shortly after that, officers located a vehicle parked along Lako St., in which they noticed a partially opened trunk containing two five-gallon gas containers, the release continued.

Officers located Ebel on Lako St. and took him into custody. After obtaining consent to search the vehicle, gasoline tanks, a funnel, hoses, dark-colored clothing and various tools commonly used for theft (bolt cutter, crowbar and gloves) were located, police said.

Also located was an “immeasurable amount” of a crystal-like substance within a glass smoking pipe and a sandwich-sized zip lock baggie containing a crystal-like residue, weighing 2.6 grams. Both tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine, according to police.

Ebel was arrested for one count of Criminal Property Damage, one count of Theft, one count of Attempted Theft, one count of Promoting a Dangerous Drug and one count of Mandatory Quarantine (Emergency Proclamation) from a business establishment.

Working in conjunction with the Kona Prosecutor’s Office, Ebel was later charged for the following offenses: Criminal Property Damage 1, Theft I, Attempted Theft 3, Promoting a Dangerous Drug 3, Mandatory Quarantine. Total Bail is set at $37,000.

Ebel remains in police custody at the Kealakehe Police Station Cellblock pending his initial court appearance in July 2020.