Concerns raised after 2 trespass onto Kahala property by climbing out of manhole
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Trespassers are finding new ways to access residential areas in East Oahu underground.
A Kahala resident who wants to stay anonymous said two individuals recently climbed out of a storm drain manhole on their property on Luawai Street.
Neighbors say the road, which leads to a grocery store, is a thoroughfare for transients.
“We get a lot of transient people coming up here because of Times and things like that,” said Terry Cano of Kahala. “But coming out of a manhole, a little bit excessive.”
It happened at around 8:45 a.m. Tuesday.
The homeowner said a man and woman climbed out of a storm drain in tbe backyard and casually walked off the property. Police and City Council Chair Tommy Waters were contacted immediately.
In a statement, Waters says the city Department of Facilities Management welded the manhole shut the next morning. It’s only temporary as crews explore permanent solutions.
“This will provide access for city personnel should the need arise, such as for debris removal, addressing blockages in the storm drain line, or conducting future inspections,” said Waters.
Ian Scheuring, the city’s Deputy Communications Director, said it’s the first time the city has heard of such an incident. The storm drain is connected to the Waialae Main Drainage Canal.
Scheuring encourages people to stay out of any storm drain.
“This is a place that is designed for floodwaters to go it’s a very dangerous place especially anytime where it’s wet weather if it’s raining,” said Scheuring. “We want to make sure that nobody should be in a storm drain for any reason.” Being in any storm system can be dangerous.
In Waipahu, two boys got trapped in a raging canal trying to retrieve a lost slipper.
In Palolo, two boys who went to check out the stream were rescued out of the canal.
Waters requested for police to inspect drainage canals in the area and take necessary enforcement measures. The incident has been classified as first-degree trespassing.
HPD said no arrests have been made at this time.
Copyright 2023 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
