05/30/24 Police arrest and charge Hilo man with assault

Hawaiian Police Department
Division I Criminal Investigation Department
Lieutenant Zachary Fernando
Phone: (808) 961-2252
Report No.: 24-049371

Media release

Hawaii Island Police have arrested and charged a 32-year-old Hilo man with two counts of assault. The incident is alleged to have occurred between late Tuesday evening, May 28, 2024, and early Wednesday morning, May 29, 2024, in the area of ​​the 300 block of Manono Street in Hilo.

On May 29, 2024, at approximately 8:27 a.m., South Hilo patrol officers responded to a report of a parking lot in the area of ​​the 300 block of Manono Street in Hilo where a woman had discovered the severely beaten body of a 62-year-old Hilo man lying in the back of his pickup truck.

Officers observed that the victim's eyes were both swollen shut, his forehead was swollen, and he had a large cut on the bridge of his nose. Hawaii Fire Department paramedics transported the victim to the Hilo Medical Center emergency room for treatment. During questioning, the victim was able to positively identify the suspect who attacked him as 32-year-old Wallace Manuarii Tahutini of Hilo.

Officers familiar with Tahutini searched downtown Hilo, where Tahutini was known to frequent, and found him in a county parking lot near the intersection of Kamehameha Avenue and Pauahi Street. Tahutini was arrested without incident on a charge of assault and transported to the Hawaii Police Department's East Hawai'i Detention Center, where he was booked, processed and further investigated by Area I Criminal Investigation Division investigators.

As the investigation continued, investigators determined that the victim had sustained significant and severe injuries to various parts of his body, including his head, face, shoulder and upper arm. He remains in stable condition and is hospitalized.

After consulting with the District Attorney's Office on Thursday, May 30, 2024, investigators from the Criminal Investigation Department of Area I charged Tahutini with the following offenses:

• First degree assault (two counts)
• Second degree assault

Tahutini's bail was set at $120,000.00

Tahutini remains in custody at the Hawaii Police Department's East Hawai'i Detention Center pending his first court appearance on Friday afternoon, May 31, 2024.

Police are asking anyone with information about this incident to contact Detective David Poohina at (808) 961-2385, via email at [email protected], or the department's non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call the islandwide Crime Stoppers number (808) 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers does not record calls or register caller ID. All information received by Crime Stoppers is kept confidential.