UPDATE: 3:30 p.m.
The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office has filed murder and theft charges against Juan Baron, 23, in the death of a 73-year-old Hawaii Loa Ridge man.
Baron is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree identity theft and two counts of first-degree theft.
He is accused of murdering the victim in his home and attempting to hide the body in a bathtub with cement.
He is also accused of unlawfully exerting control over the man’s home and personal vehicle, valued at more than $20,000, and impersonating the victim in the commission of the offenses.
Neither the prosecutor nor police have identified the victim. The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office has also not identified the body found in the home.
However, the owner of the home is Gary L. Ruby, 73, according to property tax records and online search engines.
The Prosecutor’s Office issued a statement today, saying if Baron is convicted, he faces a mandatory penalty of life in prison with the possibility of parole for the murder. Also, if Baron knew the victim was 60 years or older, he would be eligible for an extended life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Identity theft carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and first-degree theft is punishable by a maximum 10 years in prison.
Honolulu Prosecutor Steve Alm said: “I applaud HPD for their detective work and forensic analysis that will help bring Baron to justice. I also want to thank the United States Marshals Service and the Los Angeles Police Department for their efforts to capture Baron so that he can face trail here in Hawaii.
“Crimes against the elderly are some of the most serious we face and we will ensure that Baron is held accountable for his violent and dangerous actions.”
Baron is awaiting extradition to Hawaii in Los Angeles.
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Four arrest warrants were signed today in California for Juan Tejedor Baron, 23, who is accused of murdering a 73-year-old Hawaii Loa Ridge man in East Honolulu.
The warrants are for second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree theft and one count of first-degree identity theft, according to the Honolulu Police Department.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Gang and Narcotics Division and the U.S. Marshals Task Force arrested Baron Wednesday on a Greyhound bus in Anaheim, Calif. bound for Mexico. He was found hiding in a crawl space under a bench seat at the rear of the bus.
Extradition for Baron to return to Hawaii is pending.
Law enforcement also arrested Scott Hannon, 34, of Billerica, Mass., in Inglewood Wednesday.
As a result of an investigation, Hannon was released from custody Thursday after it was determined he was not involved in the victim’s murder.
The investigation is ongoing.
Honolulu police on Tuesday found the decomposing body of a man encased in concrete in a stand-alone tub at 357 Lelekepue Place. The man is believed to be the home’s owner, Gary L. Ruby.
Police said Baron had an intimate relationship with the victim.