By JOHN BURNETT
By JOHN BURNETT
Tribune-Herald staff writer
A 49-year-old Volcano man was arrested late Sunday night after police were called about a disturbance in an upper Puna subdivision.
“Our officers responded late (Sunday) night to the report of a possible explosive device on a property up in Mauna Loa Estates,” Lt. Greg Esteban said late Monday afternoon. Police arrested 49-year-old Keith Kapena Hulihee Sr. at 10:35 p.m. on suspicion of two firearms-related offenses.
“The definition of ‘firearms’ in Hawaii Revised Statutes also includes bombs and mortars and such,” Esteban said.
A search warrant was executed on the property, Esteban said. He wouldn’t specify what police found, but said that military explosive ordnance demolition experts — who were on the Big Island for exercises at Pohakuloa Training Area — were called in to assist.
Esteban said that officers also received reports of “gunshots in the area.”
“Not necessarily at his residence, but in the area,” he said. According to a neighbor, the home was near the corner of 7th Street and Ruby Avenue.
Hulihee remained in custody late Monday afternoon at the Hilo police cellblock while detectives continued to investigate. Esteban said that patrol officers evacuated residents from three nearby homes and closed the subdivision road where the residence is located. He said the subdivision road is private “so it doesn’t affect traffic that much.”
We have detectives on scene as we speak,” Esteban said at about 5 p.m. “… The road remains closed.” Asked if any of the residents had been allowed to return, he replied: “As soon as our detectives are done with procing the scene, they can contact us and give us the ‘all clear’ and they’ll be good to go. We haven’t had that ‘all clear’ issued yet.”
According to court records, Hulihee has an extensive criminal record with 33 convictions, but only two for felonies, and no felony convictions for more than two decades. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1989 for promoting prison contraband. He was also sentenced to five years in 1987 for firearms violations.
Email John Burnett at
jburnett@hawaiitribune-
herald.com.