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Thursday, April 20, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs, Thursday, April 20, 2023

The Trojans beat Honoka'a at home on Thursday evening and will travel to Kohala Saturday for a playoff game as a winning Boys Volleyball season wraps up. See more below. Photo by Julia Neal
POLICE SURROUNDED A HOUSE IN VOLCANO AND CAPTURED TWO SUSPECTS WANTED FOR ARMED CARJACKING, BURGLARIES AND ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR SHOOTING AT OFFICERS FROM THEIR GETAWAY CAR. The arrests late Thursday morning came after a crime spree over several days, high speed chases with bullets from the suspects' vehicle hitting police cars, and an armed robbery in Kona Paradise. The suspects fled through Kaʻū to a Volcano residence in the 11-3800 block of 2nd Street where they were arrested.
    In custody are 27-year-old Dylan Alcain and 35-year-old Leilani Parent, both of Kona. According to a statement from Hawai'i Police Department: 
    On Tuesday, April 18, police responded to two burglaries in the Kailua-Kona area. In the course of those investigations, 27-year-old Dylan Alcain was identified as a possible suspect and on Thursday evening, officers attempted to stop and arrest Alcain. However, Alcain got away driving a dark-colored BMW sedan with a defective headlight.
     Thursday morning, April 20, around 1:50 a.m., officers responded to a break-in at a business establishment in the 73-4700 block of Kanalani Street in Kailua-Kona. The glass front door was broken and an undisclosed amount of cash was taken. Upon review of video surveillance footage, officers observed a gray-colored BMW sedan with a female operator, later identified as 35-year-old Leilani Parent of Kailua-Kona, pull into the area. Alcain was observed getting into the passenger seat. 
    At 4:20 a.m., a Kona patrol officer responding to a report of another break-in at an establishment in the 81-6600 block of Māmalahoa Highway in Captain Cook, observed a dark-colored BMW sedan with a defective headlight traveling away from the scene at a high rate of speed. While attempting to stop the BMW, the officer reported that an occupant from inside the BMW fired gunshots at him, striking his front windshield in two places; one on the lower passenger side, the other directly in front of the officer’s head. Miraculously, says the police statement, the officer was not injured.
Leilani Parent, arrested for attempted
murder and armed robbery. As she and her
partner fled, bullets were fired from their car,
hitting police vehicles. Photo from HPD
    
    A few minutes later, officers responding to the Rabbit Hill Road area located the BMW which fled onto Highway 11 towards Kailua-Kona. As it passed Nāpo‘opo‘o Road, an occupant of the BMW fired at another police vehicle, striking that vehicle just outside the driver-side door. As officers pursued the BMW, an occupant from inside the BMW fired an estimated six additional rounds at pursuing officers before the pursuit entered a more populated area. After weighing the risk to themselves and the community, as well as Alcain and Parent against the dangers involved in a continued high-speed police pursuit, officers made the decision to terminate the pursuit.
     No officers were injured and none of the officers discharged their firearms, says the report from police.
    At 5:10 a.m., officers received a report of an armed robbery at a residence located at the 87-3000 block Huna Kai Road in Kona Paradise. A male victim reported that a man with a rifle and a female accomplice threatened him and demanded the keys to his red Ford Explorer SUV. The couple then fled the area in the SUV. A gray-colored BMW sedan was found abandoned nearby.
   After an intensive manhunt, including the assistance of Puna District patrol officers, Detectives from both Area I and Area II Criminal Investigation Divisions, and the Department’s Special Response Team,
Dylan Alcain and partner were arrested at
a home in Volcano Thursday morning,
charged with attempted murder, armed
robbery and other crimes. HPD photo
Alcain and Parent were located at the Volcano residence and taken into custody shortly after 11:00 a.m. without further incident. They were arrested for first-degree attempted murder and armed robbery. Additional offenses are pending as the investigation continues.
   The two are being held at the Kealakehe Police Station Cellblock pending further investigation. Hawai'i Police Department’s Area II Criminal Investigation Section is continuing this investigation and asks anyone who may have been in the areas of the crime scenes and witnessed any one of these incidents to call the police department’s non-emergency line at 808-935-3311 or Detective Donovan Kohara at (808) 326-4646, extension 238, or donovan.kohara@hawaiicounty.gov.
    Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the islandwide Crime Stoppers number at 808-961-8300 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. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

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UNVACCINATED FOR COVID OR SEEKING A BOOSTER? The bivalant vaccine will be the new primary vaccine and booster vaccine. Hawai'i Department of Health and Gov. Josh Green, Md issued their support on Thursday for the latest recommendations announced Wednesday by Centers for Disease Control.
    State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kimball said, "These simplified recommendations make it even easier to
State Epidemiologist Dr. Sara Kimball
protect yourself and your family from severe COVID-19 illness and death. COVID-19 is still circulating, and we have seen a recent rise in hospitalizations. We had 10 COVID-19 deaths reported in the last week. It is definitely worth it to get a booster dose now, if you are eligible. This is particularly important for kūpuna and people who are immunocompromised."
    State Health Director, Dr. Kenneth Fink, said, "Hawaiʻi has experienced lower COVID mortality than the rest of the country, in part because our residents have been vaccinated and boosted as recommended. We can continue this success by remaining vigilant and following updated recommendations as they are made."
    The new policy allows an additional dose of the bivalent booster against the virus that causes COVID-19 for individuals at increased risk for severe infection. CDC's announcement also simplifies vaccination schedules to allow bivalent vaccines to be used for primary vaccination series, as well as boosters.
    CDC recommends:
    Everyone six years and older who has not received a bivalent vaccine dose should receive one, regardless of what vaccine was used for their primary series.
    Those who already received a bivalent vaccine booster dose do not need to take any action, unless they are 65 years or older or immunocompromised.
    Adults 65 years and older can now receive a second bivalent vaccine booster dose at least four months after their initial bivalent dose.
    People who are immunocompromised may receive additional bivalent vaccine booster doses and should consult their healthcare provider to determine the best timing for additional doses.
    Bivalent vaccine can be used for all primary series and booster doses in adults and children 6 months and up. The original monovalent COVID-19 mRNA COVID-19 vaccines will no longer be recommended for use in the United States.
    CDC's recommendations follow the action on Tuesday April 18 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amending the emergency use authorization of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 bivalent mRNA vaccines to simplify the vaccination schedule for most individuals. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met to discuss these recommendations and expressed their support.
    DOH sent out a notice on April 18 to all Hawaiʻi COVID-19 vaccine providers to inform them of the FDA authorization changes.
    More information about locating vaccine providers and COVID-19 vaccination guidance can be found at vaccines.gov.
Trojans took down Honoka'a, qualifying Kaʻū
 for the next playoff game in Boys
Volleyball. Photo by Julia Neal


KAʻŪ HIGH'S BOYS VOLLEYBALL TEAM HEADS TO A PLAYOFF GAME AGAINST KOHALA Cowboys this Saturday, following a win on home court against Honoka'a Dragons on Thursday. 
    Under Coach Josh Ortega, the Trojans took down the Dragons in four sets, 25-15, 28-26, 19-25 and 25-20.
    Tyson Junior Kuahuia-Faafia triumphed with 26 kills, 2 aces and 4 blocks. Patrick Riehle nailed 5 kills. Karsen Polido-Tuaifaiva achieved 8 kills and 1 ace. Vladimir Fedoruk slammed 7 kills and made 2 aces. CyZeiah Silva-Kamei came up with 2 kills. Kayson Pagan got 1 kill and 1 block. Triton Blanco registered 4 kills.


OUTDOOR MARKETS

Volcano Thursday Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village, Thursdays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with live music, artisan crafts, ono grinds, and fresh produce. See Volcano Evening Market facebook.

Volcano Swap Meet, fourth Saturday of the month from 8 a.m. to noon. Large variety of vendors with numerous products. Tools, clothes, books, toys, local made healing extract and creams, antiques, jewelry, gemstones, crystals, food, music, plants, fruits, and vegetables. Also offered are cakes, coffee, and shave ice. Live music.

Volcano Farmers Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village on Sundays, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with local produce, baked goods, food to go, island beef and Ka'ū Coffee. EBT is used for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps. Call 808-967-7800.


O Ka'ū Kākou Market, Nā'ālehu, Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Nadine Ebert at 808-938-5124 or June Domondon 808-938-4875. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.

Ocean View Community Market, Saturdays and Wednesdays, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., corner Kona Dr. Drive and Hwy 11, near Thai Grindz. Masks mandatory. 100-person limit, social distancing required. Gate unlocked for vendors at 5:30 a.m., $15 dollars, no rez needed. Parking in the upper lot. Vendors must provide their own sanitizer. Food vendor permits required. Carpooling is encouraged.