MEDIA RELEASE

John Small

A 20-year-old man faces an assortment of criminal charges following a burglary early Tuesday (March 4) in Kealakekua.

At 4:36 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a report of a burglary in progress at an apartment complex on Kiloa Road.

A 75-year-old woman reported that she awoke to find an unknown man in a green hooded sweatshirt rummaging though items in her apartment. After the suspect ran from the apartment, the victim discovered that her purse had been removed from her truck.

Responding officers saw a man wearing clothing matching the description of the suspect and detained him. Further investigation linked him to the burglary.

John Small of Captain Cook was arrested and taken to the Kona police cellblock while detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section continued the investigation. Police recovered property belonging to the victim and other property that had been removed from another vehicle at the same apartment complex. They also recovered 4.9 grams of marijuana.

Wednesday afternoon (March 5), detectives charged Small with first-degree burglary, two counts of unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle, two counts of theft, and one count each of theft of a credit card, unauthorized possession of personal information and promoting a detrimental drug. His bail was set at $68,000.

He remained at the cellblock pending his initial court appearance on Thursday (March 6).