A 23-year-old man was arrested and charged with several offenses following a reported robbery Wednesday night in Pahoa.
Puna Patrol officers responded to a 9:09 p.m. report that a 59-year-old Pahoa man had been walking in Pahoa around 8:30 p.m. when an unknown man kicked him, knocked him to the ground and stole his backpack, according to the Hawaii County Police Department. The suspect fled on foot.
A short time later, police found the suspect in the vicinity. Fred I. Silva, 23, who has no permanent address, was arrested and charged with four counts of contempt of court and taken to the Hilo police cellblock while detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section continued the investigation into the robbery, according to police.
At 10:50 a.m. Thursday, detectives charged him with second-degree robbery, third-degree assault and fourth-degree theft. His bail was set at $27,000, according to police.