Two car theft suspects who were reportedly shot at by police in separate incidents made their initial court appearances Tuesday.
Hilo District Judge Barbara Takase ordered Cherish Torres to report for a preliminary hearing at 2 p.m. today. Takase also scheduled a preliminary hearing for Daesyn Pacheco Muragin for 2 p.m. Thursday.
Pacheco-Muragin, 24, of Mountain View faces two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, one count of second-degree reckless endangering, three counts of auto theft, two counts of third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, two counts of possessing drug paraphernalia and a weapons offense.
Takase maintained his bail at $102,000.
According to police, Pacheco-Muragin drove a stolen Honda sedan toward the car of an officer, identified in court documents as Officer Lloyd Ishikawa, early Friday afternoon on Mokuna Street in Royal Hawaiian Estates subdivision. The driver reportedly swerved at the last minute and continued to flee, and was seen moments later driving north into oncoming traffic in the southbound lane of Volcano Highway (Highway 11).
Pacheco-Muragin then reportedly drove through an active road construction site and directly toward two special-duty officers directing traffic at the site, identified in court documents as Lt. James Gusman and Officer Daniel Kuwabara. Court documents state that Gusman fired three shots toward the driver, striking the Honda, which continued driving toward Hilo.
According to court documents, Ishikawa identified Pacheco-Muragin, and a search warrant was executed on his home Sunday, leading to his arrest.
Torres, 25, of Hilo, faces charges auto theft, first-degree criminal property damage and five traffic offenses.
Takase maintained her bail at $36,075.
According to police, shortly before 4 p.m. Saturday, a Hilo patrol officer saw a black Honda Civic traveling down Lanikaula Street. When the officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop because of a traffic violation at the intersection of Lanikaula and Nowelo streets, the suspect failed to stop and fled from the officer.
The Honda then reportedly ran into a vehicle at the intersection Komohana Street and Ainaola Drive, as well as colliding into a police officer’s vehicle and then fleeing down Haihai Street. At the intersection with Kilauea Avenue, the Honda headed toward an officer on foot. In response, the officer discharged one shot toward the Honda, according to police. The Honda then struck a police vehicle in pursuit, causing both vehicles to end up in a gulch.
The Honda turned out to be stolen from Hilo on April 6 and its license plates were taken from another vehicle stolen from Hawaiian Paradise Park on Friday, police said.
Court documents identify the officer whose vehicle was damaged as Officer Christopher Jelsma. The officer who fired the shot was not identified in court documents, but the officer the Honda sped toward was identified as as Officer Ewoud Bezemer.
Assistant Police Chief Henry Tavares told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald Monday the officer who fired the shot at the vehicle had been on the force for 20 months. Bezemer graduated from the department’s police recruit academy in February 2014 after a six-month training program.
Both officers who discharged their weapons are on paid administrative leave while police conduct criminal and administrative investigations of the shootings.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.