WAILUKU - Police arrested an 18-year-old Kahului man Friday and charged him with second-degree arson in connection with an attempt to burn Hawaiian Canoe Club's new authentic canoe hale Thursday night at Hoaloha Park.
Johnathan B. Namauleg was being held in custody at the Wailuku Police Station with bail set at $20,110.
Maui Police Department spokesman Lt. Wayne Ibarra confirmed Saturday that Namauleg was arrested and charged in connection with the canoe hale fire, but he had no other details about what led police to make the arrest.
Witnesses told police they saw a man in his late teens using a cigarette lighter to ignite the roof covering of the hale, which was built using Native Hawaiian plants and timber.
The fire was reported at 8:30 p.m. Thursday and was extinguished by 9 p.m. Fire officials said about 100 square feet of the structure was damaged before the fire was brought under control by a fire sprinkler system.
Damage to the hale was estimated at $2,000, and partial damage to a new outrigger canoe was put at $1,000.
