Suspect slams into police cruiser after attempted break-in at Honolulu charter school

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Two men accused of trying to break into a school Tuesday morning remain behind bars.

Witnesses say one of the suspects slammed into a police cruiser with a truck as he tried to flee the scene.

It happened about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Witnesses reported seeing two men in the parking lot of Voyager Public Charter School in Moiliili. When police rolled up, two suspects armed with a hammer were allegedly trying to crack a lock at the school.

Sources say when the suspects saw the officer, they hopped in a stolen pick-up and crashed head-on into the police cruiser.

The officer escaped unharmed. From there, the suspects tried to run.

Police eventually captured the men hiding in some bushes.

“We’re starting to hear more and more of these types of cases,” said Sgt. Chris Kim, Honolulu Crimestoppers coordinator.

He said smash-and-grab burglaries are often crimes of opportunity.

“They’re just looking for that one opportunity to break-in and get what they can,” Kim said.

Off camera, the school’s principal told HNN that thanks to the officer’s quick response nothing had been stolen.

Meanwhile, Kim says one of the best ways to protect your property is to invest in it.

“Whether it be putting up signage, motion activated lights, invest in a good quality video camera system,” Kim said.

And if you’re looking to reinforce windows or glass doors “invest in those bars that you can put in front of your windows,” he said.

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