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Mira Costa JV Football Coach Arrested on Burglary Charges
by Paul Teetor
The
head coach of the Mira Costa Junior Varsity Football team was arrested Friday
on burglary charges after he was videotaped stealing money from a neighbor’s
apartment.
Hermosa Beach police said Keawe "Steve" Kekuewa, 29, admitted to the crime after being confronted with the videotape.
"He really had no explanation for his behavior, no motivation for what he did," Hermosa Beach Police Officer Paul Wolcott said Tuesday.
Head Football coach Don Morrow and Mira Costa Athletic Director Rich Egan did not return several calls Tuesday seeking comment.
Kekuewa, who was released after posting $30,000 bail, also did not return calls.
Jerry Davis, Superintendent of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, said although Kekuewa has worked for the MBUSD for almost 10 years, he is not currently an employee of the district.
"He is what we call a walk-on employee," Davis said. "Every fall, we review the walk-on employees and decide if we want to hire them again. Then their contract expires in December."
Because Kekuewa is not currently employed by the district, Davis said, he will not take any action until the case is resolved in the courts.
"Right now, these are just allegations," Davis said. "I want to see the outcome of the investigation before I make any decision."
Officer Wolcott said the case began on April 22, when the victim came to the police department to complain of multiple thefts of small amounts of cash from his apartment over the last year. There was never any evidence of forced entry or damage to any property, police said.
The victim suspected his neighbor, Kekuewa, police said. So the victim set up a hidden video camera in his bedroom and left a $10 bill in a pair of shorts on the floor adjacent to the bed and in view of the camera.
He then left his apartment for the day. When he returned, the cash was gone. Watching the videotape, he saw Kekuewa take the money from the shorts, police said.
The victim brought the videotape to the Hermosa police, who began an investigation. Detectives contacted Kekuewa and spoke with him about the burglary. When confronted with the video, Kekuewa admitted to the crime, police said, as well as to the prior burglaries. He said he entered the victim’s apartment with a key that he had obtained. Kekuewa was then arrested by Detective Raul Saldana and charged with charge.
The next step in the case is up to the District Attorney’s office, which will file charges based on police information and set a date for a preliminary hearing. ER