By combining his keen communication and investigative skills with knowledge of crime trends in the community he serves, a South Kohala officer was able to quickly solve a Waikoloa burglary that resulted in the arrest of two people, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
As a result of his efforts, Officer Colin Pacheco was recognized Aug. 12 by the Hawaii Island Security and Safety Professionals Association as the HISSPA Officer of the Quarter for the second quarter of 2022.
Responding to a reported burglary at a Waikoloa residence on June 22, Pacheco narrowed down the timeframe in which the crime occurred and made key observations that would later prove crucial to successfully resolving the case, according to HPD.
Pacheco identified the burglary as a crime of opportunity due to the suspected entry point being an unsecured window. After ascertaining that jewelry was removed from the residence, Pacheco was able to extract detailed descriptions of some of the items stolen from the victim in hopes of future identification.
Examining the crime scene, he found it odd that food was consumed and wrappers were discarded outside of the home. He also noted there were several varieties of fruit scattered around the exterior of the house that came from trees in a neighboring yard. The next day, Pacheco overheard a call being dispatched in which it was reported that a male and a female were sleeping in front of a business establishment in the Waikoloa village area.
Based on his 15-plus years of experience, Pacheco knew that a call like this was uncommon for the area, as were burglaries. He advised the responding officers about his burglary investigation and informed them of the items stolen from the residence.
Upon arriving at the scene of the couple sleeping in front of the business, one of the officers noted fruit in an open cooler consistent with what Pacheco had seen scattered around the burglary scene.
The responding officers also saw a ring near the sleeping couple that matched the detailed description Pacheco had obtained from the burglary victim.
Pacheco responded to the scene of the incident to investigate further and contacted the victim to have her meet him there.
After Pacheco and the victim arrived on scene, it was determined that the female suspect was wearing numerous jewelry items belonging to the victim, resulting in the couple being apprehended and subsequently arrested. The male suspect was charged with first-degree burglary and third-degree theft. The female suspect was charged with habitual property crime (three previous convictions for property crime offenses within 10 years) and as an accomplice to first-degree burglary.