Police seek sex assault suspect
Hawaii island police are investigating a sexual assault that occurred Tuesday in the bathroom of a state facility in the Waiakea area of Hilo.
An adult female was reportedly attacked at about 4:30 p.m. The victim was able to fight off her attacker, who fled in a 2003-2006 red Ford Expedition with tan or gold on the bottom.
The suspect is described as a man in his early 20s, 6 feet tall, 160-180 pounds with a thin build, curly blond hair and facial acne. He was wearing a white tank top and black surf shorts.
Police ask anyone with information on this case to call the Police Department’s nonemergency line at 935-3311 or contact Detective Jesse Kerr at 961-8883 or jkerr@ co.hawaii.hi.us. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call CrimeStoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181.
Isle homeless count rises 8.6%
Federal officials say the number of homeless people in Hawaii is up 8.6 percent since 2010 to more than 6,000, despite a drop in the national estimate.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said Thursday that of nearly 4,000 homeless households in the state, more than 700 include at least one adult and one child.
The report says the bulk of Hawaii’s homeless live in transitional housing or outside of shelters. About 1,200 live in shelters.
The estimate is based on a count made on a single night in the last week of January. Nationwide there were more than 610,000 people homeless during the count, a 4 percent drop compared with the previous year.
The study included people in 3,000 cities and counties.
