Breaking out of prison may seem like a trope from Hollywood blockbusters, but for three inmates in Hawai‘i, it became a startling reality this past Friday. According to a report from the Hawai‘i Police Department, three men escaped from the Hawai‘i Community Correctional Center Hale Nani Facility, and authorities are now spearheading an intensive manhunt. The escapees, identified as Clyde T. Loa, Kawai J. Pomroy, and Joseph C. Fernandez, fled the correctional facility around 4:30 p.m. and their last known transportation was a gray 2014 Nissan Altima, property of a civilian employee at the center.
In a bid to recapture the trio, police have released descriptions of the men, Loa is a 31-year-old male standing 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing 225 pounds with black hair and brown eyes, 41-year-old Pomroy towers at 6 feet 2 inches, weighs 260 pounds, and sports brownish-black hair with a greyish goatee as well as brown eyes and Fernandez is 35 years old, stands at 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighs 195 pounds and has brown hair also with brown eyes; the vehicle they stole has a Hawai‘i License plate number ZCK261, although their current whereabouts and intended destination remain unknown at this time, as reported by the Hawai'i Police Department.
The circumstances under which these individuals — Loa in custody for auto theft and resisting an order to stop a motor vehicle, Pomroy for abuse of a household or family member, and Fernandez for probation revocation on a firearms charge — managed to obtain the vehicle keys and plot their escape adds to the urgency of the situation. This incident is now under an active and ongoing police investigation, with public safety concerns mounting as the search continues, according to the Hawai'i Police Department.
Relevant information regarding the escapees' possible locations has been appealed for by the police who've made a point to encourage anyone who might have insight to come forward, the Hawai'i Police Department are asking for anything that might lead to the prompt arrest of these individuals so as to avoid any possible danger the escapees pose to the community, stressing the importance of their capture.
Lieutenant Grant K. Todd of the Hilo Patrol can be reached directly at (808) 935-3311 or via email at [email protected] for those looking to provide details that may assist in the manhunt. If tipsters prefer to remain unidentified, they may contact Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300 to relay information anonymously, as per the Hawai'i Police Department. Observers are encouraged to view the images of the escapees provided by the police and be on the alert for sightings of the stolen Nissan Altima.
