A pair of former fugitives remain behind bars after being apprehended separately last week by the Hawaii Police Department.
The two, 40-year-old Malani Donald Tavui and 31-year-old Alexander Ikieolagarcia Kauwe, both of Puna, are charged with multiple offenses.
The charges against both stem from multiple, islandwide incidents reported over the past several months and investigated by patrol officers, the East Hawaii Crime Reduction Unit, and the East and West Hawaii Criminal Investigation Divisions.
During the months-long investigations and manhunt for Tavui and Kauwe, police were assisted by state Department of Land and Natural Resources enforcement officers, U.S. Marshals, the FBI and county prosecutors.
During the course of these investigations, police obtained multiple search and arrest warrants for these individuals and homes they were known to frequent. Officers recovered six illegally owned firearms and five stolen vehicles associated with Tavui and Kauwe.
Additionally, police identified several other stolen vehicles they were allegedly driving. However, they’ve not yet been found.
Acting on a tip, officers Thursday morning spotted a stolen vehicle at a Maile Street home in Pahoa and arrested 19-year-old Layla Subica — an acquaintance of Tavui’s — who was sleeping inside the vehicle.
According to police, Tavui was hiding under a bed upstairs and officers arrested him without incident.
Tavui was charged with: unauthorized control of a stolen vehicle; first-degree theft; six firearms offenses; three counts first-degree criminal property damage; two counts of second-degree criminal property damage; three counts habitual property crime; driving without a license; two counts first-degree resisting an order to stop a motor vehicle; and three probation violations.
At Tavui’s initial court appearance Friday, Deputy Public Defender Arthur Indiola requested Tavui be freed on supervised release — a form of cashless bail. Deputy Prosecutor Rich Kuhlmann objected and requested that Tavui’s bail be maintained.
Hilo District Judge Kanani Laubach took judicial notice of three pending cases in Hilo Circuit Court, maintained Tavui’s bail at $238,750 and ordered him to return to court today for a preliminary hearing.
Following the execution of a search warrant on the stolen vehicle Subica was in, she was charged with: second-degree unauthorized entry to a motor vehicle; possessing a loaded firearm and ammunition; plus methamphetamine and marijuana possession.
At Subica’s initial court appearance Monday, Deputy Public Defender Jared Auna requested she be freed on supervised release, which Hilo District Judge Jeffrey Hawk granted over the objection of Deputy Prosecutor Herbert Mukai. Hawk ordered her to return to court Dec. 23 for a preliminary hearing.
On Friday morning, officers received a tip about a vehicle parked on Rose Street in Mountain View with a man, who turned out to be Kauwe, sleeping in the driver seat. When officers arrived, Kauwe immediately drove off in an attempt to evade officers, police said. The vehicle, however, struck a tree a short distance away and overturned.
Kauwe was arrested and charged with: first-degree burglary; unauthorized control of a stolen vehicle; first-degree reckless endangering; first-degree terroristic threatening; first- and second-degree property damage; first-degree assault of a police officer; possession of a prohibited weapon; eight firearms offenses; and violating probation.
In addition to the above charges, Kauwe also was arrested on suspicion of second-degree attempted murder. The arrest stems from an incident reported on Aug. 24 in which Kauwe allegedly fired multiple shots at the vehicle of a 53-year-old man during a dispute. The victim was not injured.
After conferring prosecutors, detectives released Kauwe pending further investigation without filing the attempted-murder charge. Upon completion of this investigation, it will be routed to prosecutors for review.
During Kauwe’s initial court appearance Monday, Hawk maintained his bail at $321,000 and ordered him to return Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.
Anyone with information regarding any investigation involving Tavui and/or Kauwe is asked to contact Detective John Balberde at (808) 961-2272 or John.Balberde@hawaiicounty.gov.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
