Police say both suspects arrested this weekend after being shot at by police in separate incidents were driving stolen cars.
“We have two Hondas … and it was determined both were stolen,” Lt. Greg Esteban of the Hilo Criminal Investigation Section said late Sunday afternoon.
Daesyn Pacheco-Muragin, a 24-year-old Mountain View man was arrested early Sunday morning on two outstanding bench warrants after police executed a search warrant on his home. He was also being held at the Hilo police cellblock on suspicion attempted first-degree murder, four counts of first-degree terroristic threatening and one count of attempted criminal property damage.
Police say shortly before 1 p.m. Friday, a Puna patrol officer encountered a suspicious car at the end of Mokuna Street in Royal Hawaiian Estates subdivision. The car then drove directly toward the officer’s vehicle, swerving at the last moment, and continued to flee the area.
A short time later, the same car, a Honda sedan was seen heading north into oncoming traffic on the southbound lane of Highway 11 in Mountain View area. Police say the car’s driver drove through an active road construction site at the corner of Oshiro Road and headed directly toward the officer, who was directing traffic. In response, the officer fired three shots at the driver, striking the car, which continued traveling toward Hilo.
Esteban said the car was found later Friday off Huina Road in Kurtistown.
“Shortly after detectives cleared the (construction) scene, we received information the vehicle was found and detectives responded to that information and recovered the vehicle,” he said.
Esteban said investigation led to Pacheco-Muragin, who was apparently not injured in the shooting.
According to court records, Pacheco-Muragin was released from Hawaii Community Correctional Center on Feb. 27 after posting $12,250 in a felony terroristic threatening case. He pleaded not guilty to the charge on Dec. 18 before Hilo Circuit Judge Glenn Hara, who set trial for 8:30 a.m. April 20.
In the second incident, police say 25-year-old Cherish Torres of Hilo was taken into custody late Saturday afternoon after an officer fired a shot at the stolen black Honda Civic she was driving.
According to police, shortly before 4 p.m., a Hilo patrol officer attempted to stop the Civic for a traffic violation at the intersection of Lanikaula and Nowelo streets in Hilo, and the driver fled.
A short time later, the Honda struck a vehicle at the intersection Komohana Street and Ainaola Drive, then collided with a police officer’s vehicle before fleeing down Haihai Street, police said. At the intersection of Kilauea Avenue, the Honda reportedly drove toward an officer on foot. In response, the officer fired a shot at the Honda.
The Honda then struck a police vehicle in pursuit, causing both vehicles to end up in a gulch, police said.
The only occupant of the Honda, 25-year-old Cherish Torres of Hilo, was arrested on suspicion of eight traffic offenses, two counts of first-degree criminal property damage, second-degree theft and first-degree terroristic threatening.
The Honda was reported stolen from Hilo on April 6, and the license plates on the Honda belonged to a vehicle reported stolen from Hawaiian Paradise Park on Friday, police said.
Torres sustained minor injuries from the crash, police said. No other injuries were reported.
According to court records, Torres was sentenced by Hara to four years probation for burglary April 15, 2014. Her sentence also included a year in jail, but she was only ordered to serve 30 days as long as she complied with probation.
Both Pacheco-Muragin and Torres remained in the Hilo police cellblock, but neither had not been charged as of late Sunday afternoon, Esteban said.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.