Woman who goes by the name Welo arrested
Video by Daryl Lee
KALAPANA, Hawaii: A woman who is reportedly known for throwing rocks at passing cars on their way to the Kalapana lava viewing area was arrested on Wednesday night, after allegedly brandishing a firearm and threatening a woman.
Cheryl Adler is a resident of the Kalapana Gardens subdivision, which has the distinction of being located at the terminus of the highway that is repeatedly covered by lava flows and now serves as the staging area for the county viewing area. Adler must pass by the home of a woman who goes by the name Welo, where a sign is posted warning travellers of “Flying Rocks”
The falling rocks are said to come from Welo herself. The reason for the alleged roadside rockthrowing is not known, but folks down at the viweing area said it is a well known hazard along the remote route to Kalapana Gardens.
However, Adler says that on Wednesday night, things took a frightening turn. Adler said that Welo threatened her with a firearm.
Police responded and took Welo into custody. As they led her to their police car, officers were also holding what appeared to be a recovered air rifle.
Adler says she has been waiting for the day of Welo’s arrest for a long time, but fears she will be free and back to her old ways shortly.
UPDATE: Hawaii County Police have issued the following media release about the incident:
Big Island police have initiated a terroristic threatening case in connection with reports of a woman with a gun Wednesday afternoon (February 22) in Puna.
Around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Puna patrol officers responded to a report of a woman pointing a rifle at passersby near the end of Highway 130 in Kalapana. Officers located and arrested 34-year-old Welo Kuuipo Dela Cruz of Kalapana without incident and recovered the weapon, which was determined to be an air rifle.
Dela Cruz was taken to the Hilo police cellblock while detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section continued the investigation. After conferring with prosecutors, detectives released Dela Cruz later that night pending further investigation.
Police ask that anyone with information about this incident or any similar incidents in the area call Detective Ernest Matsumoto at 961-2379, email him at ematsumoto@co.hawaii.hi.us, or call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.
Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
YOUR STATE AND COUNTY INSTITUTIONS WERE FULLY AWARE OF THIS SITUATION FOR 60+ ATTACKS ON TOURISTS PHYSICALLY INSIDE THE SCD/CD LAVA VIEWING AREA. GO READ HRS 127/128 AND DO YOUR JOBS. YOUR STATE POLICE INFORMANTS PROGRAM EXPLICITLY COORDINATED THESE ATTACKS FOR YEARS
I expect this woman will be charged with terrorism. She should either be in jail or in a mental institute. Either way she should be removed from the Big Island at once, so others on the Big Island do not have to put up with this nonsense.
Throwing rocks and people and threatening people with guns because they drive past your driveway is insane.
I saw this individual in the road when I was visiting Kalapana for the lava. Most of the traffic and victims are the TOURISTS!
I know this person well and she will not stop this, ever. She is mentally ill. I have seen her stab a dog, throw a puppy into a fire, weed whack a guy’s back, throw rocks through people’s windows and much much much more, yet the cops do nothing. I wonder why?
maybe your driving too frickin’ fast..You dont know these people and what they have gone thru , with all of you people moving here, and taking over the life style of these people ..You should be ashamed of yourself..did you hear yourself? This poor local woman is tired of being harassed for who she is and how she loves her home..You are and intruder here..You drive fast bring all your crap here..Leave these beautiful people alone. Go back where you came from..;we dont need you here…you think your so smart…look at your land from where you came..it is ruined ..leave our land alone..
A friend of Peles!!!
perhaps we should be concerned with the torture some people go thru and see thru their eyes!
riddle: why should it be illegal for non-hawaiians to buy land in Kalapana?
see the answer in a book of 600+ riddles coming soon entitled: “potsdidstop” (take-1)
let us invite this person thru email and ask her to express what other wrong doings life has imposed on her in hope of being understanding to her sufferings!
are there any social workers/agencies that may wish to offer her some social services? have they ever approached her? are all keeping silent, in hope it will go away, while the victims endure daily stress?
a weak sociey is a disgrace, as the land of pono/aloha becomes just another foolish moto?
” it is not the strident clamour of the wrong doer that shames a society but the “appalling silence” of the good”–or words to that effect-who said that?
Lies false and misunderstood.
The Hawaiian Islands may be part of the United States but it is different by culture, language, and people. While the Hawaiian race dies out because of the need to diversify, the culture and language still lives in the pure-breed at hearts. Welo is a pure-breed, people. She is threatened by other races. It’s like how people have chronic anxiety attacks from stress, claustrophobic, anti-socialization, etc.. , that is how Welo feels. Do I know her? Yes. Do I agree with her? Yes. Terrorism threats would imply Welo is Not from Hawai’i but a foreigner so she can’t be a what Adler states because Hawai’i is her home; she was born, raised, and probably will die there too. Why can’t Hawaiians get a piece of land tax free like the Indians? Why can’t Hawaiians get a Reservation? If we had a Reservation, we could make money like the Indians and we can teach our children the culture and lifestyle. The fish would be free not taxed by the game wardens. Hawaii is not the mainland! Just leave Aunty Welo alone!