Hawaii County police are investigating a pair of unrelated home invasion robberies in Puna on Friday.
In the first case, Puna patrol officers responding to a 9:37 p.m. call were told that three men wearing masks had assaulted a man outside his 30th Avenue home in the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision, then went into the house and assaulted a woman attempting to protect a child. As the woman fought back, the men grabbed a purse and backpack and drove away in a pickup truck.
Officers found the truck and arrested Kailua-Kona residents Dustin Jose, 31, and Jack Vaughn, also 31.
On Saturday, police charged Jose with first-degree burglary, second-degree robbery and second-degree assault. Vaughn was charged with first-degree burglary, second-degree robbery and two counts of third-degree assault.
About an hour after the first home invasion call, police were called to Mountain View, where two masked men reportedly forced their way into a residence and assaulted and robbed two people.
According to police, the suspects bound a 62-year-old woman and her 49-year-old roommate and ransacked the home. The suspects then threatened the two women and struck the younger one with a weapon. A 40-year-old man who was also at the house reported being accosted by the two suspects. He said he was also threatened and struck with the weapon.
The first suspect is described as a Caucasian male, about 6 feet tall with a thin build, tan complexion and hazel eyes. He was wearing dark jeans, a dark long-sleeved shirt or sweatshirt, a ski mask or tactical-style mask, and a bandanna covering his lower face.
The second suspect was described as a Caucasian male, about 5 feet 6 inches tall, with a thin build and a fair complexion. He was wearing dark jeans, a dark long-sleeved shirt or sweatshirt and a ski cap with a bandanna covering his lower face.
Both suspects fled on foot.
Police ask that anyone with information on this case contact Detective Fetuutuunai Amuimuia at 961-2278 or famuimuia@co.hawaii.hi.us.
