An 18-year-old Keaau man is in custody for offenses stemming from two burglaries in Hawaiian Paradise Park that were reported within seven minutes of each other.
An 18-year-old Keaau man is in custody for offenses stemming from two burglaries in Hawaiian Paradise Park that were reported within seven minutes of each other.
Benson Maddison is charged with three counts of driving a stolen vehicle, two counts of first-degree burglary, and one count each of second-degree theft, marijuana possession, DUI, driving without a license and leaving the scene of an accident.
His bail was set at $96,000 and his initial appearance is today in Hilo District Court.
At 5:45 p.m. Monday, a 72-year-old HPP man reported that tools and electronic items were taken after someone broke into his home. The alleged victim also told police that the suspect tried to hot-wire his pickup truck parked on his property.
Then at 5:52 p.m., a 39-year-old HPP woman reported that someone stole her 2015 Ford sport-utility vehicle and personal items from the garage of her home.
Maddison was arrested later that evening at the scene of a traffic crash on Highway 11 in Mountain View involving the stolen SUV. He was treated at the Hilo Medical Center for injuries resulting from the crash before being taken to the Hilo cellblock.
Investigators also determined that Maddison was responsible for driving a stolen Honda CRV involved in a collision in Kalapana on Aug. 1. Police say the Honda was stolen earlier that morning from an apartment complex in Hilo.
Anyone with information is asked to call the police non-emergency line at 935-3311 or Crime Stoppers at 961-8300.