MEDIA RELEASE

James M. Thomas

Hawaiʻi Island police have charged an Ocean View man with arson and other offenses in connection with a house fire Tuesday afternoon (February 2) in Ocean View.

At 7:30 a.m. Thursday (February 4), 38-year-old James M. Thomas of Ocean View was charged with first-degree arson, first-degree terroristic threatening and four counts of second-degree reckless endangering. His bail was set at $64,000. He is being held at the Kona police cellblock pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Friday (February 5).

At 5:50 p.m. Tuesday, Kaʻū District officers were assigned to a fire on the 92-8200 block of Bamboo Lane in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates. When they arrived, Firefighters were at the scene and the house Thomas occupied with his family was determined to be a total loss.

Investigation determined that Thomas intentionally started the fire while two women and two teenage boys were inside. No one was injured. The damages were estimated at $145,000.

Thomas was arrested at the scene and taken to the Kona cellblock while detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section continued the investigation.