A 35-year-old Ewa Beach man remains in police custody facing two burglary charges.
Sources say the suspect is the same man seen rummaging through a home that was intentionally set on fire last Friday — killing 97-year-old Betty Hagihara.
Neighbors spotted the man in the home just hours after fire investigators left the crime scene.
Word of an arrest of a burglary suspect traveled quickly on Hoomalolo Street.
"For us it’s a sigh of relief,” said Francis Yoshimura, neighbor.
"We know there was an arrest we feel little more secure,” said Ray Yamaguchi, neighbor.
Late Tuesday afternoon, HPD’s CID Special Enforcement Detail and officers in Ewa Beach arrested 35 year-old Michael Dahilig for two counts of burglary.
Dahilig is accused of two separate burglaries on Hoomalolo Street.
Police sources say he is the man who was spotted by an alert neighbor going through a home less than a day after it was intentionally set on fire last Friday.
The neighbor was able to get the license plate of the car he was driving.
"Police always say the criminals always return to the crime scene and that guy did,” said Ron Kawakami, victim’s son. “Stupid.”
Kawakami is the son of 97-year-old Betty Hagihara.
This was the only picture he could find of his mother in the charred remains.
It was taken 20 years ago.
"My neighbor said he just parked the car, put up the hood and ran inside and these were all ready to picked up. And I know I went through the house with the fire investigator — these were not outside they were inside the cabinet,” said Kawakami.
Dahilig has 10 prior convictions including five felonies.
Court records show he was released from prison in August 2007 after serving time for burglary and drug charges.
"Criminals — you just can’t understand them,” said Kawakami.
Kawakami says his home was hit seven times by burglars who were trying to get to his radio controlled model airplane collection.
Several other neighbors have also been hit.
This is surveillance video taken by a Hoomaloma Street resident in September 2011.
Sources say Dahilig is the man in the video and one of the burglary charges is for that crime.
"As if once wasn’t enough, twice wasn’t enough, you know seven times and then ending with this — really unacceptable,” said Randy Yoshimura, neighbor.
"It’s one thing to take somebody’s property but to take somebody’s life that’s really — that’s too much,” said Kawakami.
Dahilig has yet to be charged.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
