Hawai’i Island police are requesting the public’s assistance in locating three male inmates who escaped from the Hawai’i Community Correctional Center Hale Nani Facility in Hilo on Friday, December 13, 2024.
The escapees were last seen at approximately 4:30 p.m. as they fled the facility in a gray 2014 Nissan Altima with the Hawai’i license plate number ZCK261. The vehicle, which belongs to a civilian facility employee, was stolen during the escape. It remains unclear how the inmates obtained the vehicle keys or managed to break free.
The escapees are:
- Clyde T. Loa, 31, described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 225 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
- Kawai J. Pomroy, 41, described as 6 feet 2 inches tall, weighing 260 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
- Joseph C. Fernandez, 35, described as 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 195 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
Loa was being held on multiple counts of auto theft and resisting an order to stop a motor vehicle. Pomroy was incarcerated for abuse of a household or family member, while Fernandez was in custody for probation revocation related to a firearms violation.
Police are actively investigating the incident and have not confirmed which direction the escapees may have headed. Law enforcement is continuing to monitor the situation and ask for any information that could help locate the individuals.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Loa, Pomroy, or Fernandez is urged to contact Lieutenant Grant K. Todd of the Hilo Patrol at (808) 935-3311 or via email at grant.todd@hawaiicounty.gov. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.