Shaun Dennis

WAILUKU — After police found more than a pound and a half of methamphetamine while searching a residence in Waiehu, a man living there admitted the methamphetamine was his and he was selling the drug, officers testified.

Shaun Dennis, 33, was apprehended at 10:32 p.m. March 28 outside a residence on South Papa Avenue in Kahului, police said.

Several hours earlier, he managed to escape when officers had detained him while executing search warrants at his residence in the 300 block of Waiehu Beach Road, police said.

Police Crime Reduction Unit officers went to the one-bedroom Waiehu residence at 1:10 p.m. March 28.

Testifying Wednesday at a preliminary hearing in Wailuku District Court, officer Erik Matsuo said nothing was found on Dennis during the search. From the premises, Matsuo said police recovered a total of 776.16 grams of methamphetamine, which is more than a pound and a half of the drug, as well as a digital gram scale, glass smoking pipe and plastic packets.

He said police also found $3,570 in cash, including $570 in a wallet that also held Dennis’ identification. The other $3,000 was in $100 bills that were in $1,000 bundles in a pocket of a pair of shorts, Matsuo said.

He said the crystal methamphetamine was in two plastic bags in a backpack.

Dennis had been handcuffed and was sitting in a chair in the residence during the search when he asked to use the bathroom, said Sgt. Grant Nakamura.

Nakamura was behind the still-handcuffed Dennis and holding his arm while taking him into the bathroom when Dennis bumped the sergeant with his shoulder and pulled his arm away before jumping through a closed jalousie window, Nakamura said.

“It was shattered,” Nakamura testified. “I yelled to the other officers that he escaped. I jumped through the window and chased after him.”

Dennis ran through a couple of yards to end up at 540 Hookahi St. in the Wailuku industrial area, where Nakamura said he lost sight of Dennis between parked cars.

Then Nakamura said he heard a vehicle accelerating and saw Dennis reversing a white full-sized truck that sped onto Eha Street.

The truck was recovered less than an hour later on a street off Eha Street, Nakamura said.

An all-points bulletin was issued for Dennis before officers located him that night.

Dennis ran from officers and was kicking his legs in the air as he struggled with officers, said officer Toma Asuega-Stark. He said Dennis was Tasered to be subdued.

“He would not be arrested peacefully,” said Deputy Prosecutor Kristin Coccaro.

Asuega-Stark said Dennis was advised of his constitutional rights before he agreed to speak with officers.

“The defendant admitted that the methamphetamine found was his, and he was the only person residing in the house” after his girlfriend moved out two weeks earlier, Coccaro said.

“He also admitted he breaks down the methamphetamine, and he sells it to customers,” she said.

She said Dennis told police he knew construction workers left keys in their trucks when he drove away in the truck and admitted that family members helped him by picking him up.

Judge Kirstin Hamman found there was probable cause to support the felony charges against Dennis.

He is charged with first-degree promoting of a dangerous drug, attempted second-degree promoting of a dangerous drug, first-degree escape, third-degree promoting of a dangerous drug, unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, resisting arrest, fourth-degree theft and possessing drug paraphernalia.

If he is convicted of some of the felony charges, Dennis could face mandatory minimum sentencing as a repeat offender, based on his prior convictions for two counts of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, first-degree criminal property damage and two counts of second-degree criminal property damage, according to the complaint filed against him.

Dennis is scheduled to be arraigned April 17 in 2nd Circuit Court.

He is being held in lieu of $250,000 cash-only bail at the Maui Community Correctional Center.

According to court records, Dennis was sentenced to four years’ probation in January 2017 for unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle and first- and second-degree criminal property damage.

In two pending felony cases, he is charged with possession of drugs, bullets and aerial fireworks, habitual property crime and operating a stolen vehicle. Some of the charges were brought after police executed search warrants in January at Dennis’ residence on Alea Place in Pukalani.

* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.