Hilo man pleads not guilty to assault

A 31-year-old Hilo man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges connected with an alleged assault Saturday evening in Hilo.

Hilo District Judge Harry Freitas set a preliminary hearing for 2 p.m. Thursday for Joshua Resun, who is charged with unauthorized entry to a motor vehicle, a felony, and misdemeanor terroristic threatening and assault.

Resun allegedly struck a 22-year-old acquaintance in the forearm with a metal object while the man was sitting in a parked van on Piopio Street on the Hilo Bayfront at about 7 p.m. Saturday. He appeared in court in custody in lieu of $3,000 bail and was accompanied by a Chuukese interpreter.

His court-appointed attorney, Christopher Bridges, asked the judge to release his client on supervised release. Bridges said Resun has always appeared in court when ordered and disputed the victim’s description of the alleged attack to police as unprovoked.

“This is an incident in where Mr. Resun had been informed by his girlfriend several days prior to this incident that two men attempted to rape her. And later on that night, he was woken by his girlfriend and found a man standing over their bed,” Bridges said.

He said Resun confronted the complainant in the belief he was that man.

“The allegation is that Mr. Resun took the barbecue tong and struck the man across the arm, causing a small laceration, and then later made a threat, saying, ‘I like chop his face with machete.’ But as far as I can tell, there was no machete involved,” Bridges said.

Deputy Prosecutor Patricia Loo asked the judge to maintain Resun’s bail, saying he is “considered a career criminal.”

“He has three abuse of a household member convictions and three criminal contempt of court convictions,” Loo said. “… Due to the egregiousness of the offenses, your Honor, we believe the protection of the community is utmost importance.”

The judge maintained Resun’s bail.

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.