A Kona man was arrested after a dog alerted its owner that strangers were breaking into his truck.
A Kona man was arrested after a dog alerted its owner that strangers were breaking into his truck.
On Sunday, officers responded to the old industrial area of Kailua-Kona, where a 39-year-old Kailua-Kona man reported that he was working at his business on Alapa Street when his dog started barking. He looked out and saw two men in the bed of his pickup truck rummaging through a tool box. When he approached them, they fled the area on foot with a case containing a hand drill.
The victim later discovered that coins were missing from the truck and from a sport-utility vehicle parked near it.
With help from concerned citizens, police arrested 23-year-old Joshua Leiataua of Kailua-Kona nearby. Detectives served a search warrant on his backpack, where they reportedly found crystal methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
On Tuesday, Leiataua was charged with promoting a dangerous drug, possessing drug paraphernalia and two counts of unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle. His bail was set at $40,000. He remained at the cellblock pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Wednesday.
Detectives continue to investigate into the identity of the second suspect.