Hawai‘i Island police have arrested and charged a 25-year-old Mountain View man with several property crimes and drug offenses after a concerned citizen called police to report a suspicious vehicle in a Puna neighborhood.
On Monday, March 21, 2022, at 8 a.m., officers responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle in the area of Ihope Road in Puna discovered Mikaele Leslie Carvalho asleep in the driver seat of a vehicle with the key in the ignition. A female, 18-year-old Shayla-Rae Pomroy of Hilo, was asleep in the passenger seat. The vehicle was later determined to be stolen from Kailua-Kona.
Officers discovered a drug-related glass smoking pipe that contained methamphetamine within the vehicle and arrested Carvalho and Pomroy.
Special Enforcement Unit investigators served a search warrant on the stolen vehicle and discovered a wallet that had been stolen from a different vehicle located on Pookela Street in Hilo. Police were already investigating a reported vehicle break-in that occurred at that location on March 21, 2022.
On Tuesday, March 22, 2022, police arrested and charged Carvalho with unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, theft in the second degree, unauthorized entry to a motor vehicle, possession of a dangerous drug, and drug paraphernalia.
Carvalho’s bail was set at $60,000 and he was scheduled to appear in Hilo District Court, Wednesday, March 23, 2022.
Pomroy was later released pending further investigation in the drug related arrest.
Police are taking this opportunity to remind the public to continue to call in suspicious activity in their neighborhoods.
“It helps us keep our neighborhoods safer if the public reports suspicious activity,” said Assistant Police Chief for East Hawai‘i Kenneth Quiocho. “This arrest and suppression of a potential crime spree was made possible because someone called in something as simple as a suspicious vehicle parked where they were not supposed to be.”
Assistant Chief Quiocho added, “there is no specific stolen vehicle statute per say, and in these incidents the police typically charge for unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, which is an incident where the value of the car cannot be determined or is difficult to prove. Unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle allows the state prosecution to prove unauthorized possession by the person found in control of the stolen vehicle.
“Unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle occurs when someone enters or remains unlawfully within a vehicle with the intent to commit a crime therein against a person or property rights. This crime is usually someone breaking into a vehicle and stealing property or committing a crime against a person, like an assault. This crime is a felony also in such circumstances.”
Police encourage the public to call in suspicious activity to the department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311 Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the island-wide 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.
