Police: Hilo man arrested while sleeping in stolen truck

A judge has reduced bail for a 42-year-old Hilo man charged with numerous offenses after police arrested him allegedly sleeping in a stolen truck.

Hilo Circuit Judge Peter Kubota on Tuesday reduced the bail for Nathan Kalani Niihau from $95,000 to $50,000 over the objection of prosecutors, according to court minutes.

Niihau is charged with first-degree theft, unauthorized control of a stolen vehicle, second-degree burglary, habitual property crime, two counts each of unauthorized possession of confidential personal information and third-degree promotion of a dangerous degree, plus possession of drug paraphernalia.

Niihau was arrested shortly after 6 a.m. on Jan. 23 near the western dead-end of Nowelo Street in Hilo while sleeping in the driver’s seat of a white Ford F-150 pickup truck, according to court documents filed by police. It was determined that the truck is owned by the state and was allegedly stolen on Dec. 27 during a burglary at the Department of Agriculture’s base yard at the corner of Kilauea Avenue and Lanikaula Street.

Police executed a search warrant on the truck and allegedly discovered 1.64 grams methamphetamine, 0.67 grams of heroin, the driver’s license of another man, and passport of a woman. The search of a backpack in the truck produced eight sets of keys allegedly taken from the base yard burglary plus two debit or credit cards with Niihau’s name.

Niihau — who, according to documents, has previous felony convictions — pleaded not guilty Tuesday to all charges.

Kubota ordered Niihau to return to court on Feb. 1 for further proceedings.

Niihau remains in custody in lieu of bail at Hawaii Community Correctional Center.

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.