MEDIA RELEASE

A Kona man was arrested after a dog alerted its owner that strangers were breaking into his truck.

On Sunday (September 21), Kona Patrol officers responded to the old industrial area of Kailua-Kona, where a 39-year-old Kailua-Kona man reported that he was working at his business on Alapa Street when he heard his dog barking. He looked out and saw two men in the bed of his pickup truck rummaging through a tool box. When he approached them, they fled the area on foot with a case containing a hand drill. The victim later discovered that coins were missing from the truck and from a sports-utility vehicle parked near it.

With help from concerned citizens, police identified one of the suspects as 23-year-old Joshua Leiataua of Kailua-Kona. He was arrested on Ehu Street in the old industrial area at 4:13 p.m. Sunday and taken to the Kona police cellblock while detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section continued the investigation.

Detectives served a search warrant on his backpack, where they recovered crystal methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

At 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, Leiataua was charged with promoting a dangerous drug, possessing drug paraphernalia and two counts of unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle. His bail was set at $40,000. He remained at the cellblock pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Wednesday (September 24).

Detectives are continuing the investigation into the identity of the second suspect.