A 30-year-old Mountain View man was arrested Sunday morning in connection with the Friday murder of a father of three at the Puainako Town Center in Hilo.
Jarvis Rockwell Hung Leung Boots was arrested on suspicion of second-degree and first-degree murder in connection with the Friday incident that left 41-year-old Benjamin Craig Davidson, an employee of the Puainako Town Center, dead as well as two counts of attempted second-degree murder for a Dec. 2 shooting incident at the Papaikou Transfer Station that critically injured a man.
Shortly after 4 a.m. Friday, South Hilo Patrol officers responded to the Puainako Town Center for a report of multiple gunshots and male victim seated in a vehicle, according to the Hawaii Police Department. The victim was transported to Hilo Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
The victim has been identified as Davidson, of Hilo, police said. An autopsy performed Friday concluded that Davidson died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head and upper body. The manner of death was determined to be homicide.
Following the Friday morning incident, the department said officers followed up on various leads and conducted an islandwide manhunt for the suspect. About 5:30 p.m. Saturday, detectives located the suspect vehicle at a residence on North Lauko Road in Mountain View. As police were organizing and surrounding the residence, the vehicle left the driveway.
The vehicle was stopped a short distance away, and Boots, who was in the vehicle alone, was arrested, according to police. The vehicle was recovered as evidence and towed to the Hilo Police Station.
On Sunday morning, detectives served a warrant on Boots’s vehicle and the North Lauko Road residence. Police recovered numerous firearms, ammunition, and other prohibited weapons.
During the course of the investigation, detectives were able to link Boots and his vehicle to a Dec. 2 shooting near the Papaikou Transfer Station that left a 24-year-old man in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds. An additional victim, a 50-year-old man, was also shot at, but not injured.
Both cases remain under investigation, police said.
Anyone who may have information on either incident should call the department’s nonemergency line at (808) 935-3311 or Detective John Balberde at (808) 961-2386 or via email at john.balberde@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.
