A 24-year-old Pahoa man faces numerous charges in connection with a weekend burglary at a public charter school in Pahoa.
Jenson Faustino-Keakaoka Castillas is charged with burglary during a declared emergency, second-degree burglary, first-degree theft, first-degree criminal property damage, first-degree trespass, second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, drug paraphernalia, being a felon in possession of ammunition, and habitual property crime.
His bail was set at $146,000. and he was scheduled for his initial appearance today in Hilo District Court.
According to police, shortly before 11 a.m. Saturday, officers responded to a suspicious vehicle call at a church on Pahoa Village Road.
Upon arrival, officers found the vehicle and noted numerous battery-powered tools, a generator, spray paint cans and other miscellaneous items within, police said.
At about the same time, dispatch received a call about a school burglary, in which it was reported that tools had been stolen. Due to the proximity of the church and the school, officers requested school faculty member’s respond to assist in identifying the items within the vehicle; the tools appeared to be stolen from the school, which was identified in the complaint as Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The suspect of the burglary was captured on video surveillance, which officers viewed.
A short time later, Castillas was spotted walking along Pahoa Village Road. According to police, he told officers he was looking for his vehicle, which matched the description of the vehicle at the church.
Castillas was arrested and taken to the Pahoa Police Station, where he was searched, with officers finding about 11.8 grams of methamphetamine and 2.4 grams of marijuana, police said.
Detectives obtained a search warrant on the vehicle, confirmed the stolen items, and recovered live ammunition, which Castillas is legally prohibited from possessing, according to police.
Castillas was on probation for a burglary conviction when arrested, according to the complaint.
An updated version of this story will appear in Wednesday’s edition of the Tribune-Herald.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.