Hilo man charged with Sunday crime spree

A Hilo man has been charged with 16 offenses stemming from a purse snatching.

The purse was stolen from an 87-year-old woman at a drug store on Puainako Street just before 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Shortly thereafter, the victim’s credit card was used at two nearby businesses.

At 2:40 p.m., police arrested the suspect, 25-year-old Bronson I. K. Lee, in the parking lot of The Home Depot on Makaala Street.

He was charged at 2:25 p.m. Tuesday with five counts of theft, three counts of forgery, four counts of ID theft and four counts of fraudulent use of a credit card.

Lee’s bail was set at $44,250. His initial court appearance scheduled for Wednesday.