HAWAII COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
HILO VICE SECTION
LIEUTENANT NORMAN N. KEAMO
PHONE: 961-2253
JULY 28, 2003
H-57426/H-57495
MEDIA RELEASE
A routine traffic stop and check for liquor violations resulted in the arrests of four persons for drug and other offenses over the weekend.
In the first incident, about 4:07 a.m. Saturday (July 26, 2003), a Hilo patrol officer observed a defective tail light and stopped a 1988 Toyota sedan with a man and woman inside. While talking to the male driver, the officer saw an unspent bullet in the car. When the driver agreed to a search of the car, the officer found a loaded .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun under the front passenger seat and arrested the driver and his passenger.
On returning to the South Hilo station, police found an ice pipe in the female passenger’s possession.
Hilo Vice Section detectives were called in, and on getting written consent to search the vehicle from the driver and passenger, the detectives found 2.5 grams of crystal methamphetamine, or “ice,” additional .22 caliber bullets, $250 in cash and drug paraphernalia.
Police then arrested the driver, identified as Peter Mahi, 29, of Puu Maile Village in Hilo, and charged him with eight offenses. The charges include promotion of a dangerous drug, illegal drug paraphernalia, prohibited ownership of a firearm and ammunition, failure to have a permit to acquire a firearm and failure to register a firearm. Mahi is being held in the Hilo police cellblock in lieu of $13,850 bail.
Police said they will confer with federal authorities for possible federal prosecution on the firearms charges.
Mahi’s passenger, identified as Roberta Hussey, 27, also of Puu Maile Village, was arrested for illegal place to keep a firearm and illegal possession of drug paraphernalia. She was later released pending further investigation.
In the second incident, a Crime Reduction Unit checking for liquor violations about 11:10 p.m. Saturday observed marijuana inside a 1995 Infiniti at the Wailoa State Park. Hilo vice officers assisting the Crime Reduction Unit arrested the occupants for possession of marijuana and obtained a search warrant.
Officers then recovered 33.5 grams of dried marijuana, 3.5 grams of “crack” cocaine and drug paraphernalia. They also recovered $95 in cash.
Police charged the two suspects inside the car, identified as Bryson Gali, 24, of a Hema Street address, and Christopher Isabel, 18, of a Kilauea Avenue address, with promotion of a dangerous drug, promotion of a detrimental drug and illegal possession of drug paraphernalia. Gali’s bail was set at $7,250; Isabel’s, at $3,050.
The vehicles involved in both cases were also seized for forfeiture.
# # #