Burglaries took place after hotel room doors weren’t closed during fire emergency

Just a day after putting out photos of a person of interest in three hotel arson fires, Honolulu CrimeStoppers tells us it’s received tips and a name. The man has not been located at this time and that’s why officials have not released his name.

During this time, the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association is also sending updates and alerts to hotels and guests to bring awareness.

Officials continue to search for this man who is a person of interest in three arson cases in Waikiki. Fires startled hotel staff and guests at Alohilani, Waikiki Beachcomber, and the Hilton’s Grand Waikikian.

We asked these hotels what security measures are being considered in light of the incidences.

Alohilani officials tell us: “There were two small fires on separate floors in the Seascape Tower which were immediately attended to and exhausted. The overnight team notified HPD/HFD and responded accordingly. The guests were directed to evacuate their rooms immediately and come down to the lobby. We are happy to report everyone is safe and no injuries occurred. We are following all necessary safety precautions to ensure the safety of our guests and associates while the incident is under police investigation.”

Hilton Hawaii Village says it did not want to publicly disclose details but the team has reviewed the incident and will make any appropriate changes. Mufi Hannemann of HLTA says this is a high priority for the visitor industry.

“The good news is that individual in question has been identified so we are sending updated info on the suspect through the security alarms, and we are working very closely in conjunction with the Honolulu Police Department,” said Hannemann.

We learned during the emergency, two rooms were burglarized at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel. Hannemann tells us some of the doors were not shut when guests rushed out and made it easy to get in.

“In terms of what we are doing to make sure that everybody recognizes what is happening, we are putting an extra alert to all our guests to please shut and close their doors when they evacuate for an alarm that to me was the biggest problem here,” said Hannemann.