Hawaiʻi Police Department
Criminal Investigations Section, Area II
Lieutenant Gerald Wike
Phone: 326-4646, Ext. 266
Report No. C15010248
Isaac Gaub
Peggy Lasater
Media Release
The investigation of a theft of tires has led to numerous drug charges against two persons.
In response to a 4:12 p.m. call Monday (April 6), South Kohala officers learned that a man had stolen two tires from a tire store on Māmalahoa Highway in Waimea and fled in a Jeep Cherokee driven by a woman.
Police investigation led to the identity of the driver. At 6:50 p.m., an off-duty South Kohala police officer observed the Jeep on Kawaihae Road. On duty officers stopped the Jeep at the entrance to Spencer Beach Park and were able to see through the window that the tires were in the back.
The driver, 56-year-old Peggy Ann Lasater of Waikoloa and the passenger, 37-year-old Isaac Gaub of Waimea, were arrested and taken to the Kona police cellblock while detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section continued the investigation.
Police recovered the Jeep and detectives obtained a warrant to search it. They executed the search warrant Wednesday (April 8) assisted by detectives from the Area II Vice Section. The detectives recovered the stolen tires along with 8.2 grams of a crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine, 2.2 grams of a black tar-like substance suspected to be heroin, 4.2 grams of a green leafy substance suspected to be marijuana, 13 gel capsules containing at total of 3.3 grams of a yellow rock-like substance suspected to be cocaine and approximately 186 assorted unprescribed prescription pills.
At 4:20 p.m. Wednesday, detectives charged each suspect with second-degree theft, second-degree meth trafficking, four counts of third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, three counts of second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, two counts of fourth-degree promotion of a harmful drug, five counts of possessing drug paraphernalia and one count each of third-degree promotion of a harmful drug and third-degree promotion of a detrimental drug. Bail was seat at $238,000 each.
They remained at the cellblock pending their initial court appearance on Thursday (April 9).