A 32-year-old Hilo man accused of stealing two Jeep Wranglers from the Grand Naniloa Hotel Golf Course parking lot and leading police on a high-speed chase will have at least some of his charges heard in Hilo Circuit Court.
An information complaint filed Wednesday by prosecutors moves one of three recent cases against Logan Wayne Arruda-Lorenzo from Hilo District Court to the higher court. An information complaint requires a judge to sign off on the charges.
Arruda-Lorenzo is accused of stealing the two 4-wheel-drive vehicles on March 4 and March 19 from the golf course’s parking lot on Banyan Drive.
At about 4 p.m. March 20, an officer spotted a Jeep Wrangler on the police’s “hot sheet” — meaning it was reported stolen — traveling south on Highway 19 north of Hilo.
The officer followed, and the Jeep’s driver turned left onto Old Mamalahoa Highway, accelerated and lost control, driving off an embankment and crashing.
The officer allegedly saw Arruda-Lorenzo, who was alone in the Jeep, get out of the driver’s seat and flee on foot into a nearby thicket.
Police impounded the Jeep and executed a search warrant. In the vehicle they allegedly found more than a half-ounce of crystal methamphetamine, an operable .22 caliber zip gun without a serial number, and a single unspent .22 caliber round.
According to court documents, that was the second time police pursued Arruda-Lorenzo on March 20.
At about 1:55 p.m., an officer spotted the same Jeep Wrangler in Waikoloa after a shoplifting incident at the Waikoloa Napa Auto Parts store and gave pursuit. The officer pursued the Jeep until it made a turn north onto Highway 190 and attempted to stop it, but terminated the chase after the Jeep’s driver sped in excess of 85 mph in a 50 mph zone.
Documents state the officer positively identified Arruda-Lorenzo as the driver.
Arruda-Lorenzo was arrested on March 22 on Maile Street in Hilo.
In his Circuit Court case, Arruda-Lorenzo, who has eight prior felony convictions, faces charges of first-degree theft, unauthorized control of a stolen vehicle, habitual property crime, second- and third-degree possession of a dangerous drug, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing a firearm without a serial number (ghost gun), and driving without a license.
His bail in that case is $231,000. He’ll be arraigned this week by Hilo Circuit Judge Peter Kubota.
In District Court, Arruda-Lorenzo faces additional charges of first-degree theft, unauthorized control of a stolen vehicle, third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, resisting an order to stop, and two counts each of excessive speeding and driving without a license.
His bail for those charges is $84,000, and he has court dates on April 4 and April 11 for preliminary hearings.
Arruda-Lorenzo remains in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.