Puna teen facing charges of robbery after reportedly taking a 62-year-old man’s wallet in Hilo

A Puna teen was charged with a myriad of offenses, including robbery, after forcefully taking a 62-year-old man’s wallet while at the McDonald’s restaurant inside the Hilo Walmart.

The incident occurred on Aug. 4. Kaiea Fleming-White, 18, “forcefully removed” the wallet from within the man’s cargo shorts pocket, according to a press release from the Hawai‘i County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney on Monday.

According to the release, Fleming-White went on to use the man’s credit cards at several Hilo businesses on the same day. At the time of his arrest, the 18-year-old was also arrested for a warrant stemming from an unrelated Hilo Circuit Court case. He was also found in possession of at least a one-eighth ounce of methamphetamine.

Fleming-White made his initial appearance in Hilo District Court on Monday afternoon. His bail was maintained at $129,000 and he was ordered to appear for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday in Hilo District Court.

Fleming-White was charged with:

• Second-degree robbery
• Second-degree theft
• First-degree theft
• Theft of a credit card
• Unauthorized possession of confidential or personal information
• Two counts of fraudulent use of a credit card
• Two counts of third-degree identity theft
• Two counts of fourth-degree theft
• Second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug

Robbery in the Second degree and theft in the first degree are both class B felony offenses punishable by either a 10-year prison term or four years probation and up to eighteen months in jail.