HAWAII COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
EAST HAWAII CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION SECTION
DETECTIVE JASON CORTEZ
PHONE: 961-2381
FEBRUARY 25, 2004

MEDIA RELEASE

Police have arrested and charged three male suspects with robbery after one of them allegedly tried to shoplift items from the Macy’s department store in Hilo.

The suspects were identified as Harold Charles Smith IV, 18, of Mountain View, Puna; Andrew Martinez, 20, of Hilo; and Elijah Caraballo, 19, of Mountain View, Puna. The three were charged with second-degree robbery. Bail was set at $2,000 each.

Responding to a 6:52 p.m. call Sunday, February 10, 2004, police officers determined that Smith was caught by surveillance cameras trying to leave the store without paying for items he had taken. As he was being detained by security guards, Smith called for help from Martinez and Caraballo, who struggled with the security guards, kicking them in the head. Carballo and Martinez got away, but the guards had handcuffed Smith and kept him under custody until police arrived.

Martinez was arrested on February 15; and Caraballo was arrested on Thursday.

# # #