A 30-year-old man from Puna has been arrested and charged with multiple property and drug offenses following an investigation into a reported burglary on December 10, 2024, in the Hawaiian Beaches Subdivision of Pāhoa.

At approximately 11:15 a.m. on December 10, Puna patrol officers were called to a residence in the 15-2700 block of Lai Street after the homeowner observed suspicious activity via a home video surveillance system. The homeowner believed their property was actively being burglarized and immediately contacted the police.

Officers, who were already in the area responding to an unrelated call, arrived at the scene about ten minutes later. Upon arrival, officers noticed a broken living room window, indicating forced entry into the residence. They conducted a thorough check of the house to ensure no suspects were inside. After confirming that the house was clear, officers turned their attention to a locked Toyota pickup truck registered to the homeowner, which was parked inside the attached garage.

While inspecting the truck, officers noticed a leg partially visible beneath several reusable shopping bags in the cab area. The officers gave loud verbal commands for the individual inside to exit the vehicle. The man, later identified as Michael Anderson, complied and was detained at the scene.

After questioning the homeowner, officers confirmed that Anderson did not have permission to enter either the residence or the vehicle. He was subsequently arrested and transported to the East Hawai’i Detention Facility for booking and processing.

During their investigation, officers discovered a backpack inside the truck, which they seized. Upon executing a search warrant for the backpack, detectives found items of property that appeared to be linked to a previous burglary in the same subdivision. In addition to the stolen property, the backpack contained a small zippered packet containing a small amount of methamphetamine and a methamphetamine-smoking pipe.

The following day, on December 11, after conferring with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Anderson was charged with multiple offenses:

• First-degree burglary (a Class A felony)
• Second-degree unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle (a Class C felony)
• Third-degree promoting a dangerous drug (a Class D felony)
• Third-degree criminal property damage (a misdemeanor)

Anderson’s total bail was set at $17,000. Unable to post bail, Anderson made his initial court appearance on Thursday, December 12, in South Hilo District Court.

Police are asking anyone who may have additional information related to this investigation to contact Detective David Po‘ohina of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2385, or via email at david.poohina@hawaiicounty.gov. Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300. Crime Stoppers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest, and all information shared is kept confidential.