Paul C. Curtis
The Garden Island
LIHU‘E — Vernon “Kahui” Niau, 24, with a last known address in Koloa, was a no-show at his scheduled jury trial on burglary and theft charges in September.
He is believed to be living with his girlfriend and three children near Portland, Ore., according to police and a bail bondsman.
Niau has run away to keep from being sentenced on those charges, said Darrell Horner of Horner Bail Bonds, who has until Feb. 6 to bring Niau to court or risk losing the bond he posted for Niau’s release.
Horner said Niau, girlfriend Lori Yoshioka, 21, and their children were believed to have been staying with Niau’s brother in Oregon, which has a state law against bounty hunting.
Normally in a case like this Horner would hire a bounty hunter to track down and apprehend Niau, but in Oregon that is not an option, he said.
“He’s hiding in Oregon with his brother,” Horner said Monday.
Horner said he hopes someone will alert the local police and law enforcement will be able to catch Niau and secure his return to Kaua‘i. On Tuesday, Horner said Yoshioka is wanted on a contempt-of-court charge.
Local authorities have been notified repeatedly, and if Niau’s name is run on nearly any national criminal data base, he’ll be red-flagged as wanted, said Kaua‘i Police Lt. Sherwin Kaleo Perez.
Portland Police Department officers this week identified Niau’s brother and his residence, and the brother told officers the Vernon Niau family has moved to Gresham, another part of Portland, said Perez.
Portland Police Department officers were earlier on the lookout for Niau, and had twice before gone to the home where he was believed to have been staying, and twice came up empty-handed, said Perez.
“He has a history of property crimes,” said Perez, adding he doesn’t know whether Niau is dangerous.
He has been accused of four burglaries, two thefts, one case of criminal property damage and two contempt-of-court charges, Perez said.
Niau in 2006 pleaded guilty to second-degree theft and agreed to make restitution in an amount over $7,000 stolen from the Kaua‘i Economic Development Board, and was named a defendant in a small-claims case by Kaua‘i Credit Adjusters in 2007, state court records show.
He was one of Kaua‘i’s Most Wanted in October after he was a no-show in court, and recently added the felony charge of bail-jumping to his list of alleged crimes, Horner said.
The felony charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, said Horner.
His new warrant is up to $50,000, said Horner, adding that county Prosecuting Attorney Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho has resurrected several old cases from prosecuting attorneys past, “and they deserve to be prosecuted.”
Yoshioka is also wanted on a warrant for a contempt of court charge, Horner said.
• Paul C. Curtis, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@kauaipubco.com.
