A state judge yesterday sentenced Jenaro Torres to serve 15 years to life in prison for the 1992 murder of Pearl Harbor naval base cashier Ruben Gallegos.

Circuit Judge Michael Town ordered Torres, 58, to serve a minimum of 15 years because a firearm was used in the killing.

Torres was convicted earlier of robbing Gallegos of $80,000 and served two years in federal prison, but he was never charged with murder until the state attorney general's cold case unit filed the homicide charge in 2005.

A jury convicted Torres of murder on March 21.

Torres was a Pearl Harbor security officer at the time of the offense. He was arrested May 1, 1992, just hours after the robbery when he tried to drive onto Pearl Harbor. Found in his car were a loaded gun, a bag containing $78,000 of the stolen cash, and Gallegos' wallet and hairbrush.

VEHICLE LICENSING WORKER ARRESTED

Police on Monday arrested a city motor vehicle licensing employee for investigation of bribery, the city said yesterday.

The employee, who was not named, had earlier been placed on administrative leave by the city after it detected what it called "possible improprieties" in some vehicle registration transactions.

The city placed the employee on administrative leave on April 26 and turned over the results of its internal investigation to police. The employee has worked for the city for 15 years, the city said.

ANOTHER CYCLIST HURT ON HALEAKALA

HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK — A 13-year-old boy suffered cuts and bruises to his knee and sides after crashing yesterday during a downhill bicycle ride in Haleakala National Park.

It was the second serious bike accident within the past week at the Maui park, officials said.

Chief Ranger Mark Tanaka- Sanders said the boy, whose hometown was not immediately available, crashed after losing control of his bike and landing on some rocks. An ambulance was dispatched but was turned back since the rider's injuries were not life-threatening.

On May 23, an experienced downhill tour leader was looking over his shoulder at his group and missed a curve at the 8,500-foot level, Tanaka-Sanders said. The guide went over a 12-foot drop and landed in a lava field, suffering leg and hip injuries and head cuts.

The unidentified guide was evacuated by helicopter to Maui Memorial Medical Center.

"This is a good example of the risks of this type of activity," Haleakala Superintendent Marilyn Parris said in a news release. "It does not matter if you are a professional or an amateur; the potential to get hurt is there. Thankfully, in this case both these individuals will walk again."

19-YEAR-OLD FACES NET SEX CHARGE

Police detectives arrested a 19-year-old Pearl City man on suspicion of soliciting minors for sex on the Internet.

The suspect allegedly had online communications with people whom he thought were two 13-year-old girls, arranging to meet them at Manoa Marketplace to take them to a hotel room to have sex, according to the state attorney general's office.

The "girls" turned out to be police detectives on the lookout for Internet predators.

The arrest was part of a continuing, multiagency investigation into Internet solicitations.

Four people have been charged on O'ahu this year with trying to lure minors for sex via the Internet, legally known as "electronic enticement of a child."

Anyone with information about possible Internet crimes against children may report it to the state attorney general's investigative division at 586-1240.

Other agencies in the Hawai'i Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force include the Honolulu Police Department, FBI and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

ROADWORK CREWS BUSY IN PALOLO

Crews will be building new curb ramps and sidewalks, and installing pavement striping and markings this week at Palolo Avenue and Palolo Recreation Center.

Work will be done between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

The project is expected be completed by July.

Crews also will be repairing a damaged reinforced concrete pipe at Kuahea Street. This project should be completed this week.