A Hilo grand jury has indicted two men on robbery charges in separate incidents, one of which was a violent armed robbery almost five years ago in Puna featured on the public access cable television program “Hawaii Island’s Most Wanted.”
An indictment dated June 17 charges 49-year-old Rexford Joseph Milo of Kona with first-degree robbery.
According to police, on Aug. 18, 2010, Milo threatened a 64-year-old Leilani Estates man with a shotgun, knocked him to the ground, tied him up, and stole cash, identification and credit cards from the man. Milo then allegedly drove off in a pickup truck belonging to the victim.
Milo, who was featured on the police cable show in November 2011, was arrested on April 20.
A bench warrant issued with the indictment set Milo’s bail at $10,000, which he has posted, and further ordered him to not possess any firearms, drugs, alcohol or drug paraphernalia, and to not contact the victim, identified in court documents as James White.
According to court records, Milo has been extradited from Hawaii to California three times, in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Those records didn’t specify the charges he faced there, but indicated he also used the name Michael Garcia.
First-degree robbery is a Class A felony punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.
The second indictment, also on June 17, charges 34-year-old Patrick Kaikala Elaban with second-degree robbery.
According to police, on May 26, an employee at the Hilo Home Depot store attempted to detain Elaban for shoplifting, and Elaban struck the 46-year-old man, identified in court documents as Keith Haima, also known as Keith Haina.
A bench warrant set Elaban’s bail at $5,000, which he has posted, ordered him to have no contact with Haima or with two witnesses, to not possess any firearms, and to stay away from Home Depot.Elaban has a prior conviction for a 2008 burglary, according to court records. He was sentenced in 2009 to a year in jail with 180 days suspended, and five years probation.
Second-degree robbery is a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.