Police Charge Honoka‘a Man With Multiple Offenses in Connection With Several Vehicle Break-ins

Hawai‘i Island police have charged 33-year-old Kulike Ventura-Tampos of Honoka‘a with multiple offenses following his arrest in connection with several vehicle break-ins and an attempted vehicle theft in the Kalopa area.

The charges stem from a series of incidents that occurred on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, shortly after 12 p.m., in the Kalopa area. Hāmākua patrol officers responded to a report of an assault along Kalopa-Mauka Road after a County employee reported being struck by an unknown man, later identified as Ventura-Tampos, who attempted to steal his County vehicle. The victim reported that while operating the vehicle to cut grass, Ventura-Tampos opened the passenger door and tried to take control of the vehicle, striking the driver on the arm before fleeing makai on Kalopa-Mauka Road.

A short time later, officers responded to a nearby residence after a caller reported a man sitting in the driver’s seat of a Toyota truck parked on the property. Upon arrival, officers observed Ventura-Tampos still seated in the truck with the door open and immediately arrested him. The vehicle’s driver-side window had been shattered, and a digital scale and cut straw containing a crystal substance, which later tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine, were recovered from the seat. Officers determined Ventura-Tampos had been attempting to start the truck.

The resident told officers that earlier in the day, he saw an unknown man walking near his home and later noticed the same man leaving the area of a Scion sedan parked in his driveway. The man, later identified as Ventura-Tampos, was seen carrying items and running toward Kalopa-Mauka Road. The resident then saw him moments later sitting inside the Toyota truck. Officers determined that three vehicles parked on the property had been entered and that items taken from the vehicles were located nearby in the yard.

After conferring with the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney later that same day, police charged Ventura-Tampos with the following offenses:
• Three counts of unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle
• First-degree attempted theft
• First-degree attempted unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle (UCPV)
• Third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug
• Third-degree assault
• Fourth-degree theft
• Fourth-degree criminal property damage

Ventura-Tampos’ bail was set at $157,000. He is scheduled to make his initial court appearance today, Thursday, Oct. 23, in Hilo District Court.

Police remind the public to lock their vehicles and remove valuables when parking unattended to reduce opportunities for theft.