The COVID-19 emergencies declared by Gov. David Ige and Mayor Harry Kim allow for enhanced charges for certain crimes.
And three alleged burglars already are facing additional penalties in two unrelated cases.
According to court documents filed by police, a 23-year-old man, Kawika Roy Buckland, and 25-year-old woman, Jaelyn Cordeiro, burglarized a home last week on 25th Avenue in Hawaiian Paradise Park.
The home’s resident, a 45-year-old woman, reportedly told police she was at home at about 6:40 p.m. March 20 when someone entered her house, possibly through an unlocked garage door, and took a backpack with Social Security cards, a driver’s license, checks, a wallet, about $1,000 in cash, designer eye wear and car key fobs.
The woman identified Buckland as a man who was sitting in her Toyota Prius, motor running, inside the garage, documents state.
She reportedly confronted Buckland, who fled and got into a Nissan Versa on 25th Avenue. The resident was able to take down the license number before the vehicle left.
Documents state police attempted to stop the mauka-bound Nissan on Paradise Drive near 16th Avenue, but the car fled at high speed. Pursuit was terminated on Orchidland Drive and 38th Street, and the car was later spotted near the intersection of Aulii Street and 41st Street.
According to police, Buckland and the driver, Cordeiro, fled into nearby bushes, where they were apprehended.
Items reportedly taken in the burglary were recovered by police, documents state.
Buckland was charged with burglary of a dwelling during an emergency, two counts of first-degree burglary, two counts of first-degree theft during an emergency, second-degree theft and 12 other offenses.
Cordeiro was charged with being an accomplice to a burglary of a dwelling during an emergency, being an accomplice to a first-degree burglary, unauthorized control of a stolen vehicle, first-degree theft, disobeying a police officer, driving without a license and two counts of habitual property crime.
The most serious charges — burglary of a dwelling during an emergency and being an accomplice to a burglary of a dwelling during an emergency — are Class A felonies punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, upon conviction.
Buckland’s preliminary hearing began Wednesday in Hilo District Court with testimony by the state’s witnesses including the home’s residents and three police officers.
Judge Kanani Laubach continued the hearing until March 31 and confirmed Buckland’s bail at $230,000.
Laubach on Wednesday ordered Cordeiro to report for a preliminary hearing at 2 p.m. April 8, and confirmed her bail at $136,000.
Both remain in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center.
In a separate case, police arrested eight individuals, three adults and five juveniles, after a man reportedly broke a glass window and entered Macy’s in the Prince Kuhio Plaza shortly before 3 p.m. March 19. The store was closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to court documents, an employee confronted the man, later identified as 18-year-old Hayden Bruce of Keaau, and yelled at him to leave the store — which he did, reportedly running past Zippy’s restaurant.
The same man was seen, according to documents, getting into a silver Honda sedan after allegedly stealing clothing at the Prince Kuhio Plaza.
An eyewitness account said the Honda turned toward Puna on Kanoelehua Avenue, and police pulled the car over — with eight males inside — just south of Ikaika Street, according to documents.
Clothing with a retail value of $742.98 was recovered, police said, and Bruce confessed to stealing the items, documents state.
Bruce, 21-year-old Troy Kuhns-Lono of Volcano and 20-year-old Shon Sare of Keaau were arrested, as were five juveniles.
Bruce was charged with burglary of a business during an emergency, a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment upon conviction, burglary of a business and third-degree theft.
Kuhns-Lono, Sare and four of the five juveniles were released pending further investigation. The other juvenile was detained on an outstanding arrest warrant.
During his initial court appearance Monday, Bruce waived a preliminary hearing and was ordered by Laubach to appear at 8:30 a.m. April 2 for arraignment and plea before Hilo Circuit Judge Henry Nakamoto.
He remains in custody in lieu of $7,500 bail.
In addition, at about 6 a.m. Thursday, a 43-year-old Kailua-Kona woman was taken into custody for violating the governor’s stay-at-home order, the first known arrest for such a violation statewide.
Police say Carissa Glende went to a Captain Cook home, where a resident had a temporary restraining order against her. She then allegedly threw a rock at a window and started an argument with the occupants of the home.
Glende was charged with violating a protective order and violating Ige’s emergency proclamation ordering residents to stay at home without legitimate business for leaving. Both charges are misdemeanors.
Bail was set at $4,000, and Glende, who was in custody at the Kona police cellblock, will make an initial court appearance today unless she makes bail.
According to court records, Glende was out on $1,000 bail for a previous violation of the protective order on Feb. 18.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.