Man gets probation in stolen Tribune-Herald van case

A 24-year-old Hilo man has been convicted of charges in connection with the theft of a van stolen in March 2024 from the former downtown Hilo location of the Hawaii Tribune-Herald’s production facility.

In a deal with prosecutors, Dylan Riley Balangatan pleaded guilty last month to charges in numerous cases, including receiving stolen property in the stolen van case. Other charges Balangatan pleaded guilty to include first-degree theft, second-degree theft, second-degree identity theft, first-degree burglary and third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug.

Balangatan, who had no prior criminal convictions, was sentenced by Hilo Circuit Judge Peter Kubota to four years of probation and 18 months in jail, with credit for time served.

The most serious offenses — first-degree theft, first-degree burglary and receiving stolen property — are Class B felonies that carry a maximum potential sentence of 10 years imprisonment.

Balangatan was released from custody after being sentenced. He was ordered to appear in court Oct. 24 for a hearing to determine restitution and proof of compliance.

On March 9, 2024, a Tribune-Herald employee reported at about 11:26 a.m. that the newspaper’s van had been stolen from the premises sometime between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. that morning.

A little after 4 a.m. the following day, another employee of the newspaper spotted the stolen van parked in the parking lot of another business in the 1300 block of Kinoole Street. Officers responded and arrested Balangatan after finding him seated in the driver’s seat of the stolen van with its engine running.

Email John Burnett at john.burnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.