Prosecutors have charged a 51-year-old man after he allegedly punched a gas station employee several times in the head and fled with money taken from the station in Kona.

John B. Macomber made his initial appearance at Kona District Court Wednesday on charges of second-degree robbery, third-degree assault, second-degree terroristic threatening, third-degree promoting a dangerous drug and driving a vehicle without a driver’s license.

The court reduced his bail, initially set at $38,000 bail, to $19,000.

Macomber is currently in custody at the Hawaii Community Correctional Center and is scheduled to return to court today for his preliminary hearing.

Patrol officers responded to the gas station in the 74-0100 block of Honokohau Street after an employee reported an unknown man entered the establishment and punched her several times in the head while demanding money from the cash registers at about 1:25 a.m. Tuesday, police said.

The suspect took an undisclosed amount of cash from the registers and fled in a Ford sport utility vehicle, police added.

The employee was taken to Kona Community Hospital where she was treated and released for injuries she sustained in the robbery.

Police located the suspect, identified as Macomber, driving the SUV on Kuakini Highway shortly before 4 a..m. Officers subsequently arrested him.

Detectives of the Area II Criminal Investigation Section recovered an undisclosed amount of cash and .5 gram of methamphetamine from the vehicle. Detectives also recovered clothing Macomber wore in the robbery from the SUV, police said.