Kona man charged with electric bike theft, 2 unrelated counts of criminal damage to property; Police continue to search for a suspect: Big Island Now

A 22-year-old Kona man is facing multiple theft and burglary charges stemming from the theft of an electric bicycle from a Kona business and two other unrelated cases of criminal damage to property.

Meanwhile, police continue to search for a woman suspected in the same electric bike theft.

Luke Deniz is charged with second-degree burglary, second-degree theft and three counts of second-degree criminal damage to property in connection with the three cases he is connected to.

His bond was set at $25,000 and his first court date was October 9th in Kona District Court, where his bond was reduced to $5,000 and he was ordered to appear at a preliminary hearing on October 11th at 3:00 p.m Hearing to appear in Kona District Court.

Deniz, who appeared remotely from the Hawai’i Community Correctional Center, waived his preliminary hearing on Oct. 11. According to court documents, his case was transferred to Kona District Court as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

He was also granted supervised release as part of that agreement.

Deniz’s next court appearance is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Oct. 22 in Kona Circuit Court.

Hawaii Police Kona patrol officers responded just before 11:30 a.m. Oct. 7 to a report of a broken glass door at a retail store in the 75-5600 block of Palani Road in Kailua-Kona.

Glass was scattered all over the floor and a large rock was discovered inside the store.

Officers spoke with a witness who saw a young local man smash the glass front door with a rock, enter the store and steal an orange/red electric bicycle.

The witness added that seconds later, a younger Hawaiian woman entered the store and stole a gray/blue electric bicycle.

The man and woman were then seen leaving the area in opposite directions.

A second witness near the crime scene confirmed the first witness’s statements.

Officers contacted the business owners who came to the store and confirmed that two Yamaha electric bicycles valued at $3,000 had been stolen.

Deniz was arrested in connection with the electric bike theft after police located him a short time later near Ka’eka and Manawalea streets. Officers recognized him while reviewing the company’s video surveillance.

However, he was not in possession of the bike at the time of his arrest.

The unknown woman was also observed on video surveillance entering the store, stealing an electric bicycle and leaving the scene on the bicycle.

Investigators from the Hawaii Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division, Area II, in conjunction with Kona patrol officers, continued their investigation and were able to link Deniz to two other, unrelated property damage incidents that also occurred on October 7 at various financial institutions in the United States Kona area.

In one of the incidents, Deniz was seen on CCTV using a rock to smash a glass door and a drive-up ATM, causing $4,000 in damage.

The investigations against the suspects are ongoing.

She is 1.70 meters tall, weighs 75 kilograms, comes from the region, has black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a light-colored top and dark yoga pants. She also has a tattoo on her left ankle.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Hawaii Police Department’s non-emergency line at 808-935-3311.

You can also contact Detective Len Hamakado at 808-326-4646, extension 224 or [email protected].

Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call islandwide Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300.