Lahaina man gets six-month jail term

Douglas pleads no contest to damaging security cameras

WAILUKU — A Lahaina man was sentenced Tuesday to a six-month jail term for twice damaging security cameras at the entrance to a West Maui subdivision last year.

Christopher Douglas, 37, also was placed on one year’s probation and was ordered to pay $6,312 in restitution.

He had pleaded no contest to two reduced counts of third-degree criminal property damage of the cameras on Aug. 14 and 19, 2017.

The Puunoa subdivision homeowners association had replaced the damaged cameras before Douglas returned and damaged the replacement cameras, said Deputy Prosecutor Ryan Teshima.

Deputy Public Defender Heather Brown said Douglas was trying to go to a friend’s property to store belongings, but had to go over a piece of property that he had been banned from trespassing on. “His way of dealing with it was to black out the cameras each time so he couldn’t be caught on video,” Brown said.

She said Douglas didn’t know that the cameras cost so much and that spray-painting the camera lens would require replacing the cameras.

“It came as a shock to him that the cameras would need to be replaced,” Brown said.

She said Douglas, who is a skilled laborer, could make a $100 payment toward restitution by the end of the week.

Second Circuit Judge Peter Cahill said he didn’t believe Douglas’ story.

“It’s just bizarre,” Cahill said. “It just stretches credulity to believe what you’re claiming.”

He said the only reason he was placing Douglas on probation was so restitution could be monitored.

Douglas had been “in and out of compliance” while released on supervision and had tested positive for drug use while providing a diluted urine sample, Cahill said.

Douglas was ordered not to go on any property of the Puunoa subdivision or its individual owners while he is on probation.

Douglas, who has already served part of the jail term, was ordered to turn himself in Thursday morning to serve the remaining time.