Police say they’ve recovered medals and other items stolen during the burglary earlier this week of the Merrie Monarch Festival office in Hilo.
The stolen items were recovered during a police investigation into a criminal trespass case that resulted in two men, 36-year-old Dayson Eblacas of Ewa Beach, Oahu, and 30-year-old Makua Amituanai of Pahoa i being arrested.
On Tuesday morning, as police continued their investigation into the Merrie Monarch burglary, officers responded to a 9:17 a.m. call reporting trespassing at a closed business in the 390 block of Hualani Street, near the festival office.
The property manager reported that the business had been unlawfully entered by an unknown number of suspects. When officers arrived on scene, they arrested both men on suspicion of first-degree trespassing.
Police say Eblacas and Amituanai are suspected of illegally squatting at the property.
Later Tuesday, East Hawaii’s Criminal Investigation Section’s Crime Reduction Unit obtained a search warrant for the business where the two men were arrested. Upon executing the search warrant, officers recovered property stolen from the Merrie Monarch Festival office, including eight Merrie Monarch medals, numerous electronic devices and items of clothing.
It had been originally reported that 12 Merrie Monarch medals — British-made replicas of military medals worn by King David Kalakaua — were stolen, but it was later determined that only eight of the medals were missing. Police reported that the items taken during the burglary — which occurred between 10 a.m. Sunday and 7:30 a.m. Monday — were valued at more than $2,700.
Both suspects remain in custody at the Hilo Police Station cellblock as investigation continues.
Police said in a Wednesday evening statement they anticipate additional arrests and charges to be forthcoming in the burglary investigation.
Anyone with information regarding either the burglary or trespassing incidents are asked to call the police nonemergency line at (808) 935-3311 or Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.