Police have charged a 29-year-old Pahoa man for four burglaries in Leilani Estates subdivision, an area covered by an emergency Proclamation declared May 3 by the mayor’s office due to a lava breakout from Kilauea volcano that has destroyed 36 buildings.
At 2:30 p.m. today, Alexandru Stingu-Dragomir was charged with three counts of burglary of a dwelling, all Class A felonies punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, and a single count of burglary of a building, a Class B felony, punishable by up to 1o years behind bars.
His bail was set at $175,000, and his initial court appearance is scheduled for Friday in Hilo District Court.
On Wednesday, the alleged victim, a 66-year-old man, told police he and an acquaintance arrived at his Moku Street home to retrieve personal belongings when they encountered the suspect leaving the victim’s home office. The man said the suspect was in possession of keys taken from the office.
Stingu-Dragomir was arrested without incident after the victim and his acquaintance drove the suspect to the police checkpoint at the Highway 130 and Leilani Avenue intersection.
Police say investigators determined the suspect also entered into two other dwellings on the victim’s property and a neighboring home on Moku Street.
Anyone with information about these incidents are asked to call the police non-emergency line at 935-3311 or Crime Stoppers at 961-8300.