A 66-year-old Pahoa man remains in The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu with multiple pelvic fractures, a spinal fracture and a ruptured bladder after a brutal carjacking two weeks ago in the Panaewa area of Hilo.
The suspect, 22-year-old Marly M. Poai of Hilo, has a preliminary hearing scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Dec. 1 in Hilo District Court.
Poai is charged with first-degree robbery, kidnapping, first-degree assault, first-degree theft, unauthorized control of a stolen vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident involving serious injury, first-degree negligent injury, methamphetamine possession, reckless driving and first- and second-degree reckless endangering.
Poai, who is on probation for second-degree assault, a Class C felony, and felony domestic abuse remains in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center in lieu of $207,000 bail.
Prosecutors have filed a motion to revoke his probation.
According to court documents filed by police, on Nov. 6 at about 6:45 a.m., the victim gave a stranger, identified by police as Poai, a ride in his white 2016 Nissan Frontier pickup truck from Banyan Drive to Railroad Avenue.
The victim reportedly told police Poai asked him to stop on the shoulder in a wooded area near Kahaopea Street. Poai allegedly then pulled out a glass smoking pipe and asked the victim if he wanted to smoke.
When the victim refused, Poai asked to use the victim’s cellphone, got out of the front passenger seat, went around the front of the truck to the driver’s side, then forcibly removed the victim from the driver’s seat, according to police.
Poai allegedly then took a ratcheting strap from the bed of the victim’s vehicle and tied the victim’s hands behind his back. The victim was able to free himself, but Poai then struck the victim with a closed fist to the back of the head, knocking him down, according to documents.
Poai then got into the truck and started to drive slowly away, according to documents. The victim reportedly then tried to stop Poai by reaching into the driver’s side of the vehicle, but Poai allegedly sped off, causing the man to fall to the ground.
A witness reportedly told police the truck appeared to run over the victim.
Shortly thereafter, police received a call reporting a white Nissan pickup truck, later identified as the victim’s truck, pulling into a gravel parking lot by Panaewa Park at a high rate of speed, with the driver then getting out and running away from the truck.
A witness identified the truck’s driver as Poai, documents state. Poai was later arrested without incident at a home on Ohuohu Street in Panaewa.
The truck was searched, and a glass smoking pipe with methamphetamine residue was recovered, police said.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
