Caught on camera: Brazen ATM, school theft sparks concern among Aiea residents

HONOLULU (KHON2) — From ATM to on-campus thefts during school hours, brazen crimes caught on camera have Aiea residents raising concerns about what’s happening in their quiet neighborhood.

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A stolen KIA was no match for the glass entrance at a shopping center in Aiea. Honolulu police said two men used the stolen vehicle to plow into the glass in exchange for an ATM inside. They added that it happened on April 16 around 4 a.m. The surveillance video showed the suspects attaching the straps to the ATM before dragging it out of the building.

“They’re just really brazen, they don’t really care about if their faces are on video or not,” said Steve Wood, Aiea Neighborhood Board Chair.

Police said while the suspects tried to drive away from officers, the straps broke, leaving the stolen ATM behind. HPD said, so far there have been no arrests.

Meanwhile, Honolulu police are searching for another suspect in a brazen theft just down the road at Aiea Elementary School. According to HPD, on Tuesday around 12:30 p.m., a man went into a conference room at the school during open hours. Police said he took two computers, cell phones and other personal items before running away.

The Department of Education said in a statement:

“The unauthorized individual entered campus and took the items mentioned from an open and unattended conference room while teachers momentarily stepped out. School administrators were immediately notified of the incident and the individual was seen walking off campus without interacting with any students or staff. No lockdown was needed as there was no threat to campus.”

“It does make you very aware that people are not afraid to just commit these types of crimes,” said Tanya Costales, Pono Bowls owner. “It’s almost like they really don’t care about being caught.”

The Aiea Neighborhood Board said the area is usually quiet when it comes to crime. According to HPD’s Crime Mapping, there have been five thefts, three burglaries and three stolen vehicles in April. However, the brazen nature of the crimes is concerning residents.

“There needs to be something that has to be addressed for those that are committing these crimes because they’re just so brazen about it. What’s to stop them from doing something even more significant as it progresses,” said Wood.

Anyone with information about the cases is asked to call Honolulu police.