Hawaiʻi Police Department
Criminal Investigations Section, Area II
Lieutenant Gerald Wike
Phone: 326-4646, Ext. 266
Report No. C17000168
Media Release
Hawaiʻi Island police are searching for a 30-year-old man wanted in connection with a bank robbery Tuesday (January 3) in West Hawaiʻi.
At 3:05 p.m. Tuesday, police received a report of a robbery at a bank on the 81-6600 block of Highway 11 in Kealakekua.
Bank employees reported that a man had entered the bank and passed a note to a teller demanding cash. He then fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of money and walked north along Highway 11. He was wearing a blue T-shirt, blue-and-white surf shorts, slippers and glasses.
Police investigation, including a tip from the public, led the identity of the suspect as Russell Monlux, who has no permanent address but frequents both East Hawaiʻi and West Hawaiʻi. He is described as 5-foot-10 with a medium build, brown eyes and short dark-brown hair.
Police caution the public not to approach him as he may be armed and dangerous. Instead, anyone who knows his whereabouts is asked to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311 or contact Detective David Matsushima at 326-4646, extension 224, or david.matsushima@hawaiicounty.gov.
Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the islandwide Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.