Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 83° Today's Paper


Hawaii News

Homeless man sought in Kakaako sexual assault

Police are looking for a homeless man who allegedly sexually assaulted a 21-year-old woman living at a homeless encampment in Kakaako.

Two of the woman’s homeless family members — a 58-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man — intervened, and the suspect allegedly threatened them and fled at about 5 a.m. Sunday, according to a police report.

No arrests have been made and the suspect remains at large. The case is classified as a sexual assault and two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening.

The alleged assault is the latest in a recent string of violent incidents that have occurred at the makeshift encampment as state and city officials ponder plans for relocating occupants.

City officials plan to conduct a sweep of the area this month, with police giving some homeless campers up to seven days’ notice.

Within the past several months, incidents of violence involving residents of the camp near the Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center have increased as more homeless people move into the area. The number of tents has swelled to about 300.

Last week police arrested an unidentified juvenile for investigation of misdemeanor assault following the June 29 attack on state Rep. Tom Brower (D, Wai- kiki-Ala Moana-Kakaako) as he photographed the expanding encampment. Brower has said the attack was begun by the 14-year-old and included the boy’s 17-year-old cousin, who also lives on Ohe Street. The case will likely be handled in Family Court because the suspect is a minor.

Officials at the Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center and the University of Hawaii Medical School and Cancer Center have complained about increasing incidents of vandalism, public defecation and other public safety problems.

Among other recent incidents:

>> On July 22, Michael Ho, a 34-year-old homeless man, was charged with first-degree abuse after he allegedly tried to strangle a household member during an argument at the Kakaako campsite. Police said the incident occurred at 4:30 p.m. July 21 on Ohe Street.

>> On July 17, police and deputy sheriffs responded to an altercation among homeless campers. A homeless man was robbed by a gang wielding a metal pipe and a knife at about 11 a.m., according to court records. The victim suffered cuts to his forehead, lip and forearm as well as scrapes to his knees and bruises and welts to his head from the attack at the intersection of Ohe and Ilalo streets.

Filipo Faumuina, 22, was arrested for investigation of robbery and nine warrants and charged Saturday with first-degree robbery. He is being held in lieu of $30,000 bail. Both Faumuina and the victim live in the Kakaako homeless encampment.

According to a police affidavit, two teens approached the victim and asked to “sample” his bicycle, then attempted to take the bike when the victim declined. The victim told police that other teens joined in, and someone with a metal pipe beat him while another cut him several times with a knife. The group eventually took the victim’s bicycle.

>> On July 12 a 16-year-old girl who lives in the encampment approached a 41-year-old woman who was practicing Korean drumming at a Kakaako park and punched her several times in the face while attempting to take the woman’s $3,500 leather backpack, police said.

The girl ran away after a witness began honking a car horn. Officers found the girl and arrested her for investigation of second-degree robbery. The matter was turned over to Family Court.

Comments are closed.