A Hilo man faces charges after a late-night blaze consumed a Pepe‘ekeō apartment complex and displaced a dozen residents, police are digging deeper into the incident that took place on Monday.
Police and fire departments responded to the emergency on Kumula Street at around 10:34 p.m. After battling the fire for roughly two hours, it was contained to just one building. Hilo patrol officers and Hawai‘i Fire Department (HFD) personnel raced to the scene, according to Hawai‘i Police Department reports, and thankfully, no one was injured. During their investigation, authorities arrested 33-year-old Kainoa K. Santos, who was seen leaving the apartment just as the flames began to spread. Santos is now being held on first-degree arson charges and also faces charges related to an outstanding, unrelated arrest warrant.
The fire, which provoked an estimated $1,152,000 in damages, was deemed incendiary by HFD inspectors. The American Red Cross has stepped in to aid the residents uprooted by the fire, which includes emergency shelter and assistance with temporary housing.
With investigations ongoing, Area I Criminal Investigation Section detectives urge anyone with information about the fire to contact Detective Joseph Picadura. Those wishing to remain anonymous can reach out to Crime Stoppers. For further details or to provide tips, Detective Picadura can be reached at (808) 961-2375 or via email at [email protected], while Crime Stoppers is available at (808) 961-8300.
