Bangs Police arrested a fugitive from Kauai County Hawaii Monday night after a two-week surveillance operation that revealed the suspect was in the Brown County area. 36-year-old Joseph Michael Frye was found to be staying at a residence in Bangs.
Bangs Police Chief Jorge Camarillo said that he and Officer Mike Isbell had maintained low-profile surveillance on the suspected residence for approximately two weeks prior to the Monday night arrest.
Fry was wanted on felony warrant charges of Manslaughter, Property Damage, Assault, Reckless Endangerment, and Reckless Driving. Frye’s bond had been set at $100,000 and the court ordered a nationwide extradition.
Camarillo said, “We wanted to be absolutely positive that our suspect was the person named and described in the felony arrest warrant from Hawaii. Due to the severity of the charges, positive identity was imperative.”
Hawaiian authorities provided a detailed photograph of the suspect and his girlfriend. After several days of surveillance and catching an occasional glimpse of the suspect, officers were able to positively identify him.Chief Camarillo explained the arrest was high risk.
“It all went down in just a matter of minutes. Even though it was considered a high-risk felony arrest, we had to formulate a plan of action in those few minutes with the two of us executing the plan before he had a chance to run. Timing was of the essence in this particular situation. I had Mike come in from the north while I approached from the west,” explained Camarillo. “I was first on the scene by a few seconds and got out of my patrol truck. The suspect was moving suspiciously between the residence and a shop building and carport. I exited my vehicle and called him over. I asked him his name and he hesitated briefly before answering Joseph. I asked him his last name and he asked why. I instructed him to place his hands behind his back because he was under arrest. After he was handcuffed, Isbell and I placed him in the patrol truck.”
The arrest went smoothly without incident according to Camarillo who stated, “All in all, it went down smooth and without a hitch. But, it could’ve just as easily gone the other direction.”
Frye was booked into the Brown County Jail about 7:00 pm Monday night.
