MEDIA RELEASE

Hawaiʻi Island police are investigating a bank robbery that took place Wednesday afternoon (January 29) in Hilo.

At 1:42 p.m., South Hilo patrol officers responded to a report of a robbery at Central Pacific Bank on KÄ«lauea Avenue, where a man reportedly produced a note and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.

The suspect, 61-year-old Lelome Kahaualoa Rogers, who has no permanent address, was located on Aupuni Street and arrested at 2:05 p.m. He is being held at the Hilo police cellblock while detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section continue the investigation.

Police ask anyone who witnessed the incident to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311 or contact Detective Joel Field at 961-2381 or jfield@co.hawaii.hi.us.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

UPDATED (1/31/2014 at 9:53 PM)

Lelome Rogers

Hawaiʻi Island police have charged the man arrested after a bank robbery that took place Wednesday afternoon (January 29) in Hilo.

At 12:05 p.m. Friday (January 31), 61-year-old Lelome Kahaualoa Rogers, who has no permanent address, was charged with second-degree robbery and second-degree theft. His bail was set at $70,000.

He remains at the Hilo police cellblock pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Monday (February 3).