Police are seeking leads into a mysterious mugging last month in downtown Hilo.
The robbery reportedly occurred at about 6:30 p.m. Aug. 6 in a parking lot on the makai southern corner of Mamo Street, the site of a former taxi stand.
The victim, a 33-year-old homeless man, was hospitalized with a broken jaw.
Police Lt. Greg Esteban of the Hilo Criminal Investigations Section said Tuesday police released a second request for information about the incident in “a last ditch effort for leads in this case.”
“We’ve got little or nothing at this point,” Esteban said Tuesday. “Our guys checked the businesses down there along the Kilauea-Keawe tract and couldn’t find anything down there.”
Police said in an Aug. 7 statement the victim reported two males came up to him from behind and began to punch him. The man told police the suspects stole his wallet and cellphone and attempted to take his backpack. The alleged robbers then reportedly fled.
The victim was initially taken to Hilo Medical Center and then flown to an Oahu hospital for treatment of his injuries.
The incident allegedly occurred early on a Thursday evening, and the site is close to both the downtown KTA Super Store and Pineapples restaurant, both of which are open for business at that hour.
“That’s insane,” said Pam Owens, Pineapples’ owner, who added she’d heard nothing about the assault and robbery, either from employees or in the media.
The attackers, according to police, are described as two males with dark complexions, one about 5-foot-6 and the other about 6-feet tall, and both were described as stocky.
Police ask anyone with information to call the department’s nonemergency line at 935-3311 or contact Detective Wendall Carter at 961-2378 or wendall.carter@hawaiicounty.gov.
“We have evidence to support that an incident occurred just above (mauka of) the former Mamo Theater,” Esteban said. “Our guys, patrol officers and detectives, conducted checks for video surveillance footage at nearby businesses along the Kilauea tract, and unfortunately, we were unable to find anything there that was useful to the case.
“At this point, our hope is coming forth and asking for the public’s help again, and if there are any witnesses to this incident, they’ll call Detective Carter.”
Those who prefer anonymity may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers, a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep the community safe, doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID, and information is kept confidential.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
