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Kona man charged after armed robbery, car crash, shooting

COURTESY HAWAII POLICE DEPARTMENT
                                Dyllan Paulo-Leslie
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COURTESY HAWAII POLICE DEPARTMENT

Dyllan Paulo-Leslie

Dyllan Paulo-Leslie, 27, of Kailua-Kona has been charged by Hawaii Island police with several offenses, including attempted murder, auto theft, reckless endangering, theft, and multiple firearms offenses following an incident involving armed robbery, a car crash, and shooting at an officer in Kailua-Kona on Thursday night.

Paulo-Leslie was charged Saturday afternoon with first-degree attempted murder; first-degree robbery; reckless endangering; four counts of ownership or possession of a firearm prohibited; three counts of first-degree terroristic threatening; two counts each of carrying or use of firearm in the commission of a separate felony; place to keep pistol or revolver; carrying or possession of a loaded firearm on a public highway; place to keep ammunition; manufacturing, purchasing, or obtaining firearm parts to assemble a firearm having no serial number; second-degree theft; first-degree criminal property damage; driving without a valid license; inattention to driving; and second-degree promoting a dangerous drug.

He also was charged for outstanding offenses, including unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, first-degree theft, and discharge of sureties from unrelated incidents. His total bail for both the Thursday incident and outstanding charges is set at $1,553,250.

The charges against Paulo-Leslie stem from an incident reported shortly after 8 p.m. Thursday when Kona patrol officers responded to a report of an active armed robbery at a business in the 73-5000 block of Kauhola Street in the Kaloko Light Industrial Park in Kailua-Kona. The suspect, described as a man armed with a firearm wearing dark clothing and a face covering, entered the establishment and brandished the firearm. He removed an undisclosed amount of currency from the service counter area as patrons and employees fled the area.

The man then fled the scene in a gray lifted pickup truck with a female passenger, later identified as 34-year-old Brittany Johnson of Holualoa. As the vehicle fled the area it was involved in a traffic collision with another vehicle at the intersection of Route 190 and Hina Lani Street, rendering both vehicles inoperable.

As the first officer arrived at the scene of the crash, he walked toward the vehicles to check on the occupants, when he was shot at by the male suspect. The bullet narrowly missed the officer and struck the rear driver’s side tire of the patrol vehicle. As the officer radioed for assistance, Paulo-Leslie and Johnson fled the area on foot.

Responding patrol units located the pair a short time later and they were taken into custody without further incident.

The officer was uninjured. The driver of the other vehicle, a 51-year-old female from Kailua-Kona, did not require medical attention at the scene.

Paulo-Leslie remains in police custody pending his initial court appearance scheduled Monday in Kona District Court.

Johnson was released pending investigation.

Police ask anyone with information on this incident to call the police department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311, or Detective Sheldon Nakamoto of the Area II Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 326-4646 ext. 228, or via email at Sheldon.nakamoto@hawaiicounty.gov.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the islandwide Crime Stoppers number at (808) 961-8300.

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