A call to police about stolen tires led to a drug bust in South Kohala. ADVERTISING A call to police about stolen tires led to a drug bust in South Kohala. Police received a 4:12 p.m. call Monday reporting a
A call to police about stolen tires led to a drug bust in South Kohala.
Police received a 4:12 p.m. call Monday reporting a man had stolen two tires from a tire store on Mamalahoa Highway in Waimea and fled in a Jeep Cherokee driven by a woman.
At 6:50 p.m., an off-duty South Kohala police officer saw the Jeep on Kawaihae Road. On-duty officers stopped the Jeep at the entrance to Spencer Beach Park and saw through the window that the tires were in the back, police said.
The driver, 56-year-old Peggy Ann Lasater of Waikoloa and the passenger, 37-year-old Isaac Gaub of Waimea, were arrested and taken to the Kona police cellblock while detectives investigated.
After obtaining a search warrant on the Jeep, detectives recovered the stolen tires along with 8.2 grams of a crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine, 2.2 grams of a black tar-like substance suspected to be heroin, 4.2 grams of a green leafy substance suspected to be marijuana, 13 gel capsules containing a total of 3.3 grams of a yellow rock-like substance suspected to be cocaine and approximately 186 assorted unprescribed prescription pills.
At 4:20 p.m. Wednesday, detectives charged each suspect with second-degree theft, second-degree meth trafficking, four counts of third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, three counts of second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, two counts of fourth-degree promotion of a harmful drug, five counts of possessing drug paraphernalia and one count each of third-degree promotion of a harmful drug and third-degree promotion of a detrimental drug.
Bail was set at $238,000 each. Their initial court appearances were set for Thursday.
