In a notable development on the Big Island, authorities have apprehended one of the three individuals who executed a daring escape from the Hale Nani Correctional Facility last week. According to the police report, on Wednesday evening, law enforcement found Joseph Fernandez at a residence located on Hawai’i Boulevard within the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates subdivision. The arrest was executed without incident, leading to a string of charges related to the escape. Notably still on the lam, Clyde Takeshi Talosaga Loa Jr. and Kawai James Pomroy, his accomplices, continue to evade capture.
Fernandez is facing multiple offenses, including second-degree escape, first-degree theft, and first-degree unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle. In conjunction with these charges, he's also been booked on a warden's warrant for a furlough violation wherein bail is not an option. The bail for the escape-related charges has been set at $9,000. Adding to the updates, the vehicle stolen by the escapees, belonging to a Hale Nani employee, was also retrieved on the same day from a property on Tiki Lane, still within the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates area.
The community was first alerted to the escape on December 13, when the Hale Nani Correctional Facility reported that three of its inmates had departed without authorization, subsequently commandeering an employee's vehicle. Surveillance footage caught the act, underscoring that there was no permission granted to operate the vehicle.
In the midst of the continued search for the remaining escapees, the police are seeking assistance from anyone with potentially beneficial information. Individuals who can shed light on the whereabouts of Loa and/or Pomroy are encouraged to reach out to the police department’s non-emergency line, contact Detective David Po’ohina of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section, or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers.
