Kona Man Charged with Burglary, Theft, Drug Promotion After Break-Ins

Two residences on Kona Bay Drive were burglarized in the same afternoon, and police caught the suspect the same day. Na Aliʻi Peralta, 50, of Ocean View was found at a bus stop on Loloku Street in Kailua-Kona shortly after the April 5 incidents and now faces five felony counts, including methamphetamine possession.

Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen announced the charges: two counts of first-degree burglary (burglary of a dwelling), two counts of second-degree theft involving property valued above $750 per incident, and one count of promoting a dangerous drug in the third degree, which covers possession of any amount of methamphetamine.

At his initial court appearance Tuesday, April 8, Kona District Court reduced Peralta's bail from $35,000 to $15,000 over prosecutors' objections and ordered him back for a preliminary hearing on April 9. First-degree burglary is a Class B felony carrying either a 10-year prison term or four years of probation with up to 18 months in jail. The theft and drug counts are both Class C felonies, each punishable by up to five years in prison.

Police have not publicly identified what was taken from either home or how Peralta gained entry. Hawaii County investigators have not announced a connection between the Kona Bay Drive break-ins and other recent burglaries in the Kailua-Kona area, though the investigation is ongoing.

Kona Bay Drive sits in the residential grid of central Kailua-Kona, within the broader Kona Bay waterfront corridor. That Peralta was located on foot at a public transit stop on Loloku Street, a short distance away, suggests he moved through the neighborhood without a vehicle, a detail that should prompt awareness on neighboring blocks where nothing unusual may have been noticed that afternoon.

Homeowners on and around Kona Bay Drive should run through a few key steps this week: confirm that deadbolts are functioning and that sliding glass doors have a secondary bar or pin lock in the track; verify that any exterior security cameras are actively recording and cover ground-level entry points; and test or install motion-activated lighting along driveways and walkways. Exchanging phone numbers with immediate neighbors to build a real-time text alert chain costs nothing and can make a real difference on a block that was hit twice in a single afternoon.

Anyone with information about the April 5 incidents on Kona Bay Drive can call Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300. Tips are anonymous, and callers may be eligible for a cash reward.