A 28-year-old Waimea man is charged with several felony property crimes after allegedly burglarizing the same Hilo house on Dec. 30 and 31.
Ashton Silva-Cuba, whom county Prosecutor Kelden Waltjen described as “a felony repeat offender,” is charged with two counts each of first-degree burglary and fraudulent use of a credit card, plus single counts of theft of a credit card, unauthorized possession of confidential personal information, and habitual property crime.
The most serious charge, first-degree burglary, is a Class B felony that carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence upon conviction. The other charges are Class C felonies carrying potential five-year prison terms.
At about 5:09 a.m. on New Year’s Eve, a 39-year-old woman reported to police she saw an unknown man wearing a camouflage jacket and “gator-looking mask” attempting to open the kitchen door of her 70-year-old father’s unoccupied house on Pohakulani Street in the Waiakea Uka neighborhood, documents state.
Arriving officers saw the man fleeing the home, searched the area, found Silva-Cuba allegedly dressed as described hiding in foliage on a neighboring property on Iwalani Street, where he was arrested.
According to documents, security camera footage obtained by police showed Silva-Cuba holding a black-collapsible shovel and a machete taken from a Craftsman tool chest in the home’s carport and walking toward the kitchen door with the items when the woman arrived at her father’s house.
Silva-Cuba was seen on camera fleeing toward Pohakulani Street, saying “something to the effect … that he is with the owner” and the victim’s daughter, who unsuccessfully attempted to catch Silva-Cuba, replying that she is the owner, documents state.
The woman reportedly told officers she reviewed the property’s security footage for the previous night and saw the man, whom police identified as Silva-Cuba, removing a security camera from a support beam on the carport, according to documents.
Documents state a pat-down search of Silva-Cuba turned up a Citibank MasterCard which was reportedly stolen from a Kumukoa Street residence.
The card’s owner notified police she had received a call at about 4 p.m. on Dec. 30 by the Citibank Fraud Department to inform her someone attempted to make a purchase for $99.11 at the Waiakeawaena Texaco at 2188 Kinoole St.
According to documents, Silva-Cuba has 14 prior felony convictions, including for burglary, unauthorized control of a stolen vehicle, unauthorized entry to a motor vehicle, and unauthorized possession of confidential personal information.
At Silva-Cuba’s initial court appearance on Monday, Hilo District Judge Jeffery Hawk maintained Silva-Cuba’s bail at $100,000 and ordered him to return at 2 p.m. Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
