Honolulu police from the Kane'ohe substation last night arrested State Hospital escapee Adonis Oandasan as he walked Kane'ohe-bound along the Likelike Highway.

Patrol officers responded to a motorist's sighting of Oandasan at 5:40 p.m. and arrested him at 5:45 p.m., said Sgt. Jerrold Kam.

Oandasan, 35, had been doing yard work when he left the mental hospital Thursday afternoon. He had been charged in December 2004 with second-degree felony criminal property damage for allegedly slashing at least 40 tires on cars in the Kailua Village area of the Big Island.

After Oandasan escaped from the State Hospital, police described him as "possibly violent" and said he may have taken the machete he was using for yard work.

But Sgt. Kam said officers discovered only a "small knife" in Oandasan's backpack. "Nothing threatening," Kam said. "He looked like he was hungry and tired. To me, he must have been sleeping in the bushes. He's fine."

Police had responded to several possible sightings Friday that turned out to be false, Kam said. Yesterday, he said, "we had a call that matched the guy."

Officers expected to transfer Oandasan to the main cell block last night.

State health officials last night said they were uncertain whether Oandasan would be returned to the State Hospital.

Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com.