Puna man charged with fatally beating his tenant
COURTESY HAWAII COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
Stanley Cummins has been charged in the beating death of his 35-year-old tenant in Puna.
A 51-year-old Pahoa man was charged today with the fatal beating of his tenant Saturday in Puna, Hawaii island police said today.
Stanley Marion Cummins was charged with second-degree murder. His bail was set at $1 million.
Police identified the victim as Jace Whitney Keakahi Ahquin, 35, of Pahoa. Police said Ahquin was renting a room in Cummins’ home, where Ahquin was beaten to death.
Police said patrol officers responded to the Hawaiian Shores home about 7 a.m. Saturday after someone reported a male had been struck in the head with a bat. Arriving officers found Ahquin in bed on the ground floor of the home with traumatic injuries to his head and facial area, consistent with being beaten.
Police began CPR until fire department medics arrived to take over, but Ahquin could not be revived. He was taken to Hilo Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 12:05 p.m. Saturday. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine his exact cause of death.
Cummins drove to the Pahoa police station and turned himself in about 90 minutes after the attack.
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Anyone with information about the murder is asked to call detective Wendall Carter of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at 808-961-2383 or email him at wendell.carter@hawaiicounty.gov. Tipsters can also call the Big Island police department’s non-emergency line at 808-935-3311.
