Two men are facing kidnapping and robbery charges stemming from a reported robbery Dec. 23 in Kona.
On Dec. 23, a 22-year-old Kailua-Kona man reported that at 3:45 p.m., a 31-year-old male acquaintance and a second unidentified man approached him on Royal Poinciana Drive near Alii Drive and asked him for drugs and cash, according to the Hawaii County Police Department. When he refused, the men reportedly assaulted him, forced him into a sports utility vehicle, stole personal items and held him at knife point while driving around Kailua-Kona for more than an hour and demanding money.
The 22-year-old persuaded his assailants to drive him to the home of a family member so he could get cash. Once there, he went inside, according to police. After a family member confronted the suspects and said police had been called, the suspects drove away.
On Jan. 1, Kona patrol officers located the SUV, which was damaged and abandoned on Hina Lani Street in Kailua-Kona. Further investigation by Area II Criminal Investigations Section detectives confirmed the identities of both suspects, according to police.
On Monday, police arrested 31-year-old Jack Toribio Casuga of Kailua-Kona and took him to the Kona police cellblock while detectives continued the investigation.
Casuga was charged Wednesday with kidnapping, first-degree robbery, first-degree terroristic threatening and fourth-degree theft. He was also charged with violating parole in an unrelated incident and with first-degree burglary and second-degree attempted robbery in connection with another unrelated incident on Dec. 19 at a home on Alii Drive, according to police. His bail was set at $146,000.
On Thursday, 29-year-old William Holbron-Kealoha of Kailua-Kona was arrested and charged with kidnapping, first-degree robbery, first-degree terroristic threatening and an unrelated count of failure to appear, according to police. His bail was set at $110,100.