A burglary at the Hina Mauka drug and alcohol rehabilitation and prevention center earlier this week has puzzled and bewildered members of its staff. Roughly 150 drug-test kits and one computer were stolen from the non-profit facility, which offers outpatient,
A burglary at the Hina Mauka drug and alcohol rehabilitation and prevention center earlier this week has puzzled and bewildered members of its staff.
Roughly 150 drug-test kits and one computer were stolen from the non-profit facility, which offers outpatient, residential and day treatment for those with alcohol and other drug addictions.
The damage and losses are estimated to be at least $2,000, Clinical Supervisor Nestor Batalan said.
There is one Kaua‘i Hina Mauka center, on Haleko Road in Lihu‘e, and several on O‘ahu.
The exact time of the burglary is not clear, as Batalan was told about the incident roughly 15 minutes before the center was scheduled to open its doors Tuesday, he said.
“One of my staff called me about 7:45 (a.m.), telling me they had broken in through the window.”
The drug tests that were stolen are comprehensive, designed to detect marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, PCP and opiates in urine, Hina Mauka Counselor Meg Stouder said.
“They’re worth at least $20 each,” she added.
Batalan said the stolen tests — which are presumptive positive or negative and don’t require lab work — are more accurate than many that are for sale online or at the drug store.
“We’re the only ones that could order those,” he said. “One of the ideas I was tossing around is that because of that, maybe the (burglar/s) are supposed to undergo a urinalysis.”
But the idea that tests were stolen for personal use doesn’t explain the motive behind the missing computer, Batalan said.
“They chose the computer that was way, deep inside the office,” he said. “But that one doesn’t have any important data. The ones that have confidential information weren’t touched.”
The burglar(s) also dumped out the contents of several desks inside the building, Stouder said.
Hina Mauka’s staff is continuing to conduct business as usual — broken window and all — but Batalan said the facility will beef up its security in the near future.
“We’ll be in contact with our headquarters in Honolulu to work on getting an alarm and more padlocks on all the doors and equipment,” he said.
In the meantime, Batalan said, “I hope the cops get this guy.”
Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to call the Kaua‘i Police Department at 241-1711.
• Amanda C. Gregg, assistant editor/staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or agregg@kauaipubco.com.
