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Man, 22, charged with threatening others with gun

A 19-year-old woman says a 22-year-old man, who was already awaiting trial for allegedly assaulting a city bus driver in January, threatened to shoot another man he held hostage last week unless she drove him out of Kalihi, according to court documents.

Sunia Faaofonuu has been charged with two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, kidnapping, first-degree theft, second-degree assault, extortion using a firearm and three firearms violations. His bail was set at $150,000. His preliminary hearing will be held in District Court on Wednesday.

Police said that on Feb. 11 Faaofonuu, armed with a silver and black Ruger semi-automatic pistol, approached a 16-year-old boy at a house on Kealoha Place.

While holding a handgun pointed at the teen, Faaofonuu asked Aileen Baay if she owned the car that was parked outside of a nearby house.

According to a police affidavit filed in District Court, Faaofonuu then told Baay: “You can take me out of Kalihi or I going to shoot him right now.”

Fearing for her life, Baa told police she closed the door and called authorities.

Faaofonuu then grabbed the teen and ordered him to climb the fence from Kealoha Place to Kalihi Waena Elementary School.

The two then walked towards Kuhio Park Terrace and approached another man with a van. The suspect pointed the hand gun at the van’s driver and released the teen. The suspect then fled into Kalama road by climbing a fence.

Police later apprehended the suspect on Kamehameha IV road. Police determined that the handgun, which had a red staining resembling dried blood on the front of the slide area, was stolen in an earlier burglary. 

Police arrested Faaofonuu just before 3 p.m. after responding to a terroristic threatening complaint.

A witness told police that Faaofonuu approached him in the driveway of a Kamehameha IV road home offering him the handgun if he gave the suspect a ride to Salt Lake.

The handgun was wrapped in black cloth. Faaofonuu hid the wrapped handgun when police arrived in the engine compartment of a nearby parked car where police found it.

Faaofonuu was on bail after posting $2,000 bond after he allegedly assaulted a city bus driver Jan. 14 in Kahala.

The bus was idling picking up passengers when the suspect entered the vehicle and allegedly assaulted the driver.

A bus rider intervened and called police.

His District Court trial for third-degree assault attack on the bus driver was set to begin March 6.

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