A 42-year-old Kona man has been charged with murder and other offenses in connection with a shooting earlier this week in Hilo.
Valentine Kapiolani Gonsalves Jr. was charged at 11 p.m. Wednesday with second-degree murder, first-degree reckless endangering, possession of a loaded firearm, and use of a firearm in the commission of a separate felony. His bail was set at $507,000 and he is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Thursday.
The victim has been identified as Gonsalves’ nephew, 25-year-old Keith Nakoa Gonsalves of Hilo. An autopsy conducted Wednesday determined that he died from a gunshot wound to the neck.
The case began Monday night when South Hilo Patrol officers responded to a report of a shooting in the upper Waiakea Uka area of Hilo. A 47-year-old Hilo man reported that he had been threatened during a verbal confrontation by a man in a car outside his house on Alaloa Road. Witnesses reported that a shot was fired and that the vehicle then left the area. Officers were unable to locate a shooting victim. They initiated a first-degree terroristic threatening investigation and began to search for the vehicle.
Shortly after 5 a.m. Tuesday, police received information that led them to a silver Honda sports-utility vehicle parked against the flow of traffic on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway in the area of mile marker 27. Responding officers discovered an unresponsive man in the SUV. Detectives ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
Any motorists who may have seen the silver Honda SUV parked along the highway, may have seen a man hitchhiking toward the Kona direction, or may have picked up a hitchhiker and taken him to Kona should contact either Detective Robert Almeida at 961-2386 or robert.almeida@hawaiicounty.gov or Detective Grant Todd at 961-2385 grant.todd@hawaiicounty.gov.
Those who prefer to remain anonymous may call the island wide Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.00. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers does not record calls or subscribed to any Caller ID service. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.