Tom LaVenture - The Garden Island
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LIHU‘E — A woman used a baseball bat to smash an ATM machine and several store windows at Kukui Grove Center shortly before closing Wednesday night.

According to Kaua‘i Police Department, Patricia Lewis, age 31, of Lihu‘e, is in police custody with $31,000 bail on multiple charges, including criminal property damage. The incident remains under investigation.

According to a county news release, Lewis allegedly used a bat to smash an ATM machine at the American Savings Bank located within the mall. The preliminary investigation added that she smashed a glass door at Longs Drugs and a glass window at Jamba Juice, before she was confronted near Starbucks by three uniformed police officers and an off-duty officer who disarmed and arrested the suspect, the report states.

The statement went on to say it was fortunate the incident did not go further than it did. The suspect is not known to have caused previous incidents at the mall.

Kukui Grove management said the event was over as quick as it started, and that they were pleased with the immediate response by mall security and police officers. There were no attacks on people and no injuries were reported despite numerous mall patrons present.

“We are thankful that nobody got hurt,” said a representative of Kukui Grove Center, who declined to give her name. “We are sorry that this happened.”

According to a sales associate working at a store in the mall, the suspect appeared to be distraught.

The female sales associate, who wished not to be identified, said she did not witness incident but did witness the arrest

“She was shouting that ‘her son was dead,’” the associate said. “She was saying ‘he was there this morning and he’s not there anymore.’”

The associate said that around 8:50 p.m., 10 minutes before closing, she heard someone yelling outside. She and a coworker closed the sliding door to make the store appear that it was closed.

“We thought things were getting crazy and so we brought in the signs and closed the door,” she said. “It looked like she was holding a bat, but I can’t be sure about that.”

About a minute later she said the suspect appeared to be heading in the direction of their store when police officers ordered her to “get down, stand down,” she said.

“They got closer and closer and then they grabbed her, got her down and handcuffed her,” she said.

The suspect was crying and yelling as the police officers picked her up and walked her away from the scene, she said.

“There was mascara running down here face,” the associate said. “She was really upset.”

Managers of Jamba Juice and Longs Drugs declined to comment by press time.