The mother of an abused 6-year-old boy who has been missing since 1997 and whom authorities believe is dead was charged Thursday afternoon in a welfare fraud case. ADVERTISING The mother of an abused 6-year-old boy who has been missing
The mother of an abused 6-year-old boy who has been missing since 1997 and whom authorities believe is dead was charged Thursday afternoon in a welfare fraud case.
The mother of an abused 6-year-old boy who has been missing since 1997 and whom authorities believe is dead was charged Thursday afternoon in a welfare fraud case.
Jaylin M. Kema, 45, of Pahoa was charged with second-degree theft, a Class C felony punishable by up to five years imprisonment.
Kema’s bail was set at $5,000. She is scheduled to make her initial court appearance today.
Authorities did not say how much money Kema is alleged to have illegally collected, but second-degree theft means it is more than $300 and less than $20,000.
Both Kema and her husband, 45-year-old Peter J. Kema Sr. of Pahoa, remain at the Hilo police cellblock while detectives continue to investigate possible drug and firearms charges as the result of items found at their Ainaloa subdivision home during the execution of a search warrant Tuesday.
Police say their search turned up an unregistered handgun with an altered serial number, marijuana and butane honey oil, a marijuana derivative.
Peter Kema Sr. is a convicted felon and as such, cannot legally possess firearms. In 1992, he was sentenced to five years probation and 60 days in jail with all but 21 suspended on a burglary charge.
The Kemas are the parents of Peter Kema Jr., aka “Peter Boy,” the abused boy whose disappearance 18 years ago was statewide news for months. Police and prosecutors continue to investigate his disappearance as a murder, and the parents are the only suspects, but no charges have been filed.
County Prosecutor Mitch Roth declined Thursday to say when the Peter Boy case might go to a grand jury for possible indictment.
“We’re a lot closer than we were last year, but I don’t want to give a time frame yet because there’s still work that needs to be done,” Roth said.
“I am a big believer in trying not to taint the evidence and making sure that people have a fair trial. … These cases, we want to try in court instead of the media. We haven’t forgotten this case. We continue to work at it, and we’re actively working with the police to investigate and hopefully, bring charges.”
Email John Burnett at jburnett
@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
