Hawaii Island police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating 29-year-old Mason D. Beck who is wanted for questioning in connection with a robbery March 15 in Pahoa.
A 37-year-old man visiting from Germany reported to police that he was operating a local friend’s vehicle when he stopped to pick up a male hitchhiker on the Pahoa-Kalapana Road, Route 130, near Pahoa. After getting into the vehicle, the suspect threatened the victim with a carpenter’s nail gun and instructed him to continue driving. Approximately 5-6 miles past Pahoa Village, the suspect ordered the victim to pull to the side of the road at which time he ordered the victim out of the car. The suspect left with the vehicle and was last seen headed in the Kalapana direction.
Beck is known to frequent Pahoa town and the Kalapana Black Sands subdivision, though he is not known to have a permanent residence. He is described as being Caucasian, with blonde hair, blue eyes, a short beard, a scar on the left side of his face, 5-foot-11 and 225 pounds with a medium build.
Detectives with the Criminal Investigation Section have been assigned to continue this investigation.
Police ask anyone with information about this incident or knows the whereabouts of Beck to contact Detective Dean Uyetake of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2379 or dean.uyetake@hawaiicounty.gov. Those who prefer to remain anonymous may call the islandwide Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.