Lihu‘e man arrested for making threats against council member

LIHU‘E — A Lihu‘e man was arrested on Friday for allegedly making threats against a sitting member of the Kaua‘i County Council earlier this month.

Glenn Gruenhagen, 67, was taken into custody on charges of terroristic threatening in the first degree and harassment, the Kaua‘i Police Department (KPD) said.

The arrest stems from threats made against Councilman Bill DeCosta via letters. The letters were left for DeCosta in the Historic County Building at approximately noon on Friday, Jan. 12.

The letters were perceived as a threat and the incident was reported to the KPD on Jan. 16.

“We would like to thank the community for remaining vigilant during this investigation,” said Kennison Nagahisa, acting captain of KPD’s Investigative Services Bureau. “We also appreciate the diligent work of our officers in securing an arrest for this case.”

The incident prompted a set of new security measures at the Historic County Building. The measures were put in place during a special emergency meeting of the County Council on Thursday, Jan. 18, at the behest of County Council Chair Mel Rapozo.

While the context of the threats have not been revealed, Rapozo deemd the threats serious at the time, and then took action to protect members of the County Council, as well as staff who work in the building and the general public who frequent the site at the corner of Rice Street and Umi Street.

“I consider this a credible threat because of what was on it,” said Rapozo at the special meeting held inside of the Historic County Building in Council Chambers.

The security measures outlined at the meeting ranged from sign-in sheets for people coming into the building to the hiring of full-time security.

Gruenhagen is currently being held at KPD cellblock with bail set at $5,050. A KPD investigation is ongoing.

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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com. Wyatt Haupt Jr., editor, can be reached at 808-245-0457 or whaupt@thegardenisland.com.