A 24-year-old Keaau man accused of burglarizing one Puna home during last year’s lava emergency declaration and another Puna home belonging to a police detective has made a plea deal to receive probation and time already served in jail. ADVERTISING
A 24-year-old Keaau man accused of burglarizing one Puna home during last year’s lava emergency declaration and another Puna home belonging to a police detective has made a plea deal to receive probation and time already served in jail.
Ronald Altura Jr. pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of first-degree burglary, a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. One charge was reduced from burglary of a dwelling during an emergency declaration, which is a Class A felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison with no possibility of probation.
As part of the agreement with prosecutors, Altura, who had been incarcerated since his arrest a little more than a year ago, was freed on supervised release until his sentencing at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 2 before Hilo Circuit Judge Greg Nakamura.
The judge said he’ll honor the plea agreement and read conditions of the deal in open court.
“The major terms … include you plead guilty to the two counts to which you are pleading. The state will agree to recommend probation,” Nakamura said. “The state can … ask for 18 months in jail with credit for time served at the time of your change of plea and the balance of your jail term taken under advisement.”
Altura was on supervised release for the May 21, 2014, burglary of the Mountain View home of Detective Shawn Tingle when he was arrested Sept. 18, 2014, for the burglary 10 days earlier of an Orchidland Estates home. That home’s resident, a 35-year-old man, told police he saw a man entering his house through a window, then exiting the home and fleeing in a van driven by another man.
Altura’s co-defendant, 25-year-old Jesley Saniatan of Hilo, the driver of the van, also has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge, accessory to first-degree burglary.
Saniatan is scheduled for sentencing at 8 a.m. Friday, also before Nakamura. Part of Altura’s plea arrangement is to provide information in Saniatan’s case, as well.
“If you provide false information or testimony that will be considered a breach of the plea agreement,” the judge told Altura.
Altura’s court-appointed attorneys, Christopher Bridges and Jennifer Wharton, indicated Friday they’ll be seeking a deferred acceptance of the guilty plea.
If the judge grants the deferral, it means Altura, who has no prior felony convictions, will have this one stricken from his record upon satisfactory completion of his probation.
