Hawaiʻi Police Department
Criminal Investigations Section, Area I
Captain Randall Medeiros
Phone: 961-2251
July 19, 2011
Report No. C11018577
Media Release
Big Island police are investigating the destruction of 10 acres of papaya trees in Puna.
On Tuesday morning (July 19) Puna patrol officers responded to a report that trees in three adjoining papaya fields in the Kapoho area had been cut down. Each property belonged to a separate owner. Additional adjoining papaya fields were left undamaged.
The scene, near the area where 8,500 trees were destroyed a year ago, is located on Alohalani, about one mile north from where it intersects Route 132 near the 6-mile marker. The trees appear to have been chopped down with a machete sometime between Monday morning and Tuesday morning.
Detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigation are continuing the investigation. The value of the damaged property is still under investigation.
Police ask that anyone with information about this case call Acting Lieutenant Reed Mahuna at 961-2252. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona 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. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
