David Y. Ige

Faces Additional Charges Related to Stolen Watercraft

(Kailua-Kona) – 35-year-old Jason Fujioka of Kea‘au was arrested on Saturday by officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) after a private company reported the theft of its 50-foot-long vessel Noa Noa.

The boat was reported stolen from Kailua Bay at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. It was located traveling in the ocean in the vicinity of the Kona Airport. The vessel’s owner assisted by another private vessel were able to stop the Noa Noa off OTEC (Makai Ocean Engineering’s ocean thermal energy conversion plant). They detained the suspect and transited to Honokōhau State Small Boat Harbor where they were met by DOCARE officers.

Fujioka was arrested and taken to the Kona Police Station for booking and processing. He’s being held pending setting of bail at $8,000. He faces charges of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, first-degree theft and violation of state emergency rules and orders.

DOCARE is also reporting the numbers of citations and warnings issued for violations of emergency rules and orders and violations of DLNR Division of State Parks closed area rules. During the week of April 24-May 1, 2020 officers wrote 57 citations. Most were for the emergency orders and closed area violations, but there were also citations for violations of Kaho‘olawe unauthorized vessel rules, controlled substance violations and promotion of a detrimental drug. They issued 122 warnings; the majority of them for emergency rules violations or for entering a closed State Park.

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Media Contact:

Dan Dennison
Senior Communications Manager
(808) 587-0396
[email protected]