WAILUKU — A Paia man who had been released from jail to perform with reggae artist Matisyahu in Hollywood was back in handcuffs Wednesday morning after being arrested on a $500,000 warrant alleging he didn’t comply with requirements of his release on bail.
The warrant alleges that Clint “Kekoa” Alama, 27, didn’t contact his supervising officer for 30 days or more after being released from jail.
When he appeared in 2nd Circuit Court on Sept. 16, Alama was ordered to report immediately to the Maui Intake Service Center and maintain contact with the center. He also was ordered not to consume alcohol or illegal drugs and not to be around others using illegal drugs or alcohol.
Alama, who is also known as Clint Alama-Barido, reported to the center Oct. 3 but didn’t make contact after that, according to an affidavit filed Nov. 3.
A hearing for Alama, who denied the allegations, was set for Dec. 16.
Deputy Public Defender William “Pili” McGrath said he wasn’t asking for a bail hearing because the court doesn’t grant those in such cases.
According to a motion filed last month by Deputy Prosecutor Jeffery Temas, a police officer saw Alama “highly intoxicated” at 1 a.m. Sept. 17, several hours after he had appeared in court and had his hearing delayed so he could seek drug treatment.
That night, police officers were making checks in the parking lot behind a crowded Charley’s bar in Paia near closing time when they were asked to help move along people who were loitering in the parking lot, according to a police incident report.
When Alama was asked to leave the parking lot “due to his obvious belligerent, loud behavior and loitering (making other folks obviously uncomfortable), he became very belligerent with officers and uncooperative,” according to police.
Alama was described as “highly intoxicated, with red watery eyes, slurred speech and an overwhelming odor of liquor emanating from his breath.”
The officers demanded that Alama leave, and he eventually did, police said. He was told he would be arrested if he returned that night while intoxicated. Alama “staggered off the property while shouting insults to police,” the report said.
He didn’t return that night.
Alama was invited to perform with Matisyahu on Aug. 12 at the Hollywood Palladium after the singer and his bassist Stu Brooks heard Alama playing his ukulele and strumming Matisyahu’s hit “One Day” at a Maui coffee shop.
Matisyahu sang along and Brooks filmed the impromptu duet, which was widely viewed on the internet.
Because Alama turned himself in and was jailed on a warrant for probation violation, a judge had to grant him supervised release from Aug. 11 to 13 so he could perform at the concert.
Afterward, he returned to the Maui Community Correctional Center before friends posted a $50,000 bail bond so he could be released Aug. 29.
Alama was placed on five years’ probation in May 2013 for unauthorized entry into a dwelling and second-degree assault. In March 2015, he admitted he violated his probation and was resentenced to another five-year term of probation.
* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.
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