Honolulu officer indicted in alleged sexual assault

The South Carolina budget this year once again included earmarked funds after a one-year pause.

The Senate budget, which passed last month, included $130.4 million in legislator-requested spending within a $15.3 billion plan. The money went to cities and counties for 163 projects, including parks, water and sewer work, and police and fire improvements. The spending plan did not include funding for nonprofits

Budget leaders in both chambers paused earmarked funding last year, citing rising spending and a push for a tax cut.

The Senate’s proposal included three $5 million projects: upgrades to Greenville’s Bon Secours Wellness Arena and nearby areas, planning for Columbia’s proposed riverfront park, and improvements at a career and technical education school in Spartanburg.

Bon Secours also received a $5 million earmark two years ago, sponsored by House Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville. The local agency that operates the 15,500-seat arena wants to expand and renovate it at an estimated cost of $282 million, including an outdoor amphitheater, a new entrance and lobby, and more parking. Most of that funding would come from local tax dollars, according to the master plan.

For Columbia’s riverfront, Sen. Ronnie Cromer, R-Prosperity, said the $5 million would likely fund planning for development along the Congaree River, including a public park on nearly 100 acres donated to the city. Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Hopkins, also sponsored the request.

“Columbia’s not a destination city,” Cromer said. “But once we get this riverfront development done, it will be.”

Cromer also proposed smaller projects, including $787,000 to combine emergency services in Newberry County and $500,000 to help Whitmire replace a water main that burst earlier this year.

Sen. Russell Ott, D-St. Matthews, said smaller towns often lack the tax base for costly infrastructure. His requests included $1 million for drainage improvements in Cayce to match a federal grant and $563,000 for sewer upgrades in Calhoun County.

“It does highlight the critical need for infrastructure across our state,” Ott said. “We are just woefully behind in a lot of our areas.”

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, said he would prefer no earmarks, but if they continue, he supports directing money to cities and counties rather than nonprofits because of public oversight requirements.

Whether the House will include nonprofit earmarked funds remained unclear. House members were expected to add projects to their budget draft this week before lawmakers negotiate a final spending plan that takes effect July 1.

Lexington police were searching for a 17-year-old who authorities said was taken at gunpoint Sunday night.

Corvin Gardner of Lexington was forced from his home on Hendrix Street at about 10 p.m. by two unidentified males armed with handguns, the Lexington Police Department said Monday in a news release.

Witnesses saw Gardner and the two suspects walking west from Hendrix Street toward Barr Road, according to police. Investigators said they believed the group got into a vehicle and left the area.

Police did not disclose a motive.

Gardner was described as 5 feet 8 inches tall and 118 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes, and a large tattoo on his right forearm.

An Amber Alert had not been issued because police did not have vehicle information, which is required under the alert guidelines.

Anyone with information about Gardner was asked to contact Lexington police at 803-358-1557 or kheath@lexsc.gov. Tips can also be submitted to CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or online. In an emergency, call 911.

Red-light cameras are illegal in South Carolina, but a bill introduced April 28 would allow local governments to use them to issue civil fines for traffic violations.

House Bill 5600, introduced by Reps. Weston Newton, Bill Herbkersman, and Jay Jordan, all Republicans, would let town, city, and county governments adopt ordinances allowing traffic-control signal monitoring systems at intersections.

The bill also would require drivers facing a steady yellow light to “slow down immediately” if it is safe to do so.

Under the proposal, fines could not exceed $100 and could not include court costs, assessments, or surcharges. Violations would not add points to a driver’s license or affect a driving record.

If a local government adopted such an ordinance, the enforcing agency would have to mail a citation within one week of the violation. The citation would have to include the registered owner’s name and address, the vehicle registration number, the alleged violation, the intersection location, the date and time, recorded images, a statement that the images are evidence of a violation, and the amount of the civil penalty.

Drivers could contest citations by showing they entered the intersection to yield to an emergency vehicle or as part of a funeral procession. If a vehicle or license plate was stolen, the owner would have to show that a police report was filed before the violation occurred.

Current South Carolina law bars law enforcement agencies from using traffic cameras, including speed cameras and red-light cameras, to issue tickets. Private communities that handle their own traffic enforcement may use traffic cameras.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, nine states have laws prohibiting red-light cameras.

A 26-year-old Honolulu police officer was indicted Tuesday on multiple charges in the alleged sexual assault of a woman while he was on duty April 6 and 7.

An Oahu grand jury in state court indicted Christopher John A. Oallesma on counts of official misconduct, obstruction of justice, use of a computer in the commission of a separate crime, four counts of third-degree sexual assault, and four counts of fourth-degree sexual assault.

Oallesma, a Waikiki patrol officer, was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Circuit Court and enter a plea. He was arrested shortly before 4 p.m. Tuesday at Honolulu Police Department headquarters and released about an hour later after posting $150,000 bail.

The indictment said the woman had been “stopped by a law enforcement officer,” but it did not say whether Oallesma initiated the stop or another officer did.

According to the indictment, Oallesma sexually assaulted the woman by placing his hand on her genitals and breast while performing an  unlawful search. It also alleged that he placed his mouth on her breast and caused her to place her hand on his penis.

The indictment said he subjected the woman to sexual contact “by compulsion and/or induced duress.” It defined compulsion as lack of consent or an expressed or implied threat that places a person in fear of public humiliation, property damage, or financial loss.

Prosecutors said they intended to seek an extended prison term if Oallesma was convicted of two or more felonies. Third-degree sexual assault, official misconduct, and use of a computer in the commission of a separate crime are Class C felonies. Obstruction of justice is a Class B felony. Fourth-degree sexual assault is a misdemeanor.

The indictment alleged that in Counts 1 and 2, Oallesma acted “pursuant to one continuous scheme and course of conduct” during April 6 and 7.

Oallesma had five years of service with the Honolulu Police Department and was assigned to District 6 Patrol, which covers Waikiki. Police officials said they had restricted his police powers.

A court barred Oallesma from contacting the woman and four named witnesses. He was also prohibited from possessing firearms and ordered to turn over any firearms and ammunition to the main police station.

Acting Honolulu Police Chief Rade Vanic said in a written statement, “The allegations in this case are very serious and run counter to the high standards HPD sets for its officers in serving and protecting our community.

“An internal investigation was initiated promptly and remains ongoing, and any officer who is accused of breaking the law is subject to the same legal process as any member of the public. These allegations do not reflect the many dedicated officers who serve our community honorably each day.”