Big Island Police Arrest 48-Year-Old Man After Firearm Discharged in Hilo Industrial Area

A 48-year-old Hawaiian Ocean View Estates man was arrested and charged with several offenses following an incident in which a firearm was discharged on Makaʻala Street in Hilo.

About 12:46 a.m. Thursday (December 13), police responded to a call that a firearm had been discharged in the Hilo Industrial Area. Officers contacted witnesses and located a vehicle parked on Makaʻala Street.

Allen Benjamin III

Police linked the vehicle to Allen Benjamin III. He was taken into custody while detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section conducted further investigation.

No one was injured as a result of the firearm being discharged. Detectives recovered ammunition and a firearm.

At 9 p.m. Thursday, after conferring with the prosecutor’s office, detectives charged Benjamin with second-degree reckless endangering, place to keep ammunition, place to keep pistol, first-degree theft, and two counts of ownership/possession prohibited. His bail was set at $15,000.

He was scheduled to make his initial court appearance Friday afternoon (December 14).

Hilo Men Busted for Puna Robbery… Suspects Brandished a Firearm

Media Release:

Big Island police have charged two Hilo men with various offenses following a reported robbery in Puna on Sunday (May 22).

Paul Matthew Borowski

Tuesday evening (May 24), detectives charged 28-year-old Paul Matthew Borowski and 30-year-old Keaka Daniel Kaneala Martin with first-degree robbery and alteration of identification marks prohibited (a firearms offense). Borowski was also charged with first-degree terroristic threatening and use of a firearm in commission of a separate felony.

Keaka Daniel Kaneala Martin

Bail for Borowski was set at $22,500. Bail for Martin was set at $51,000. Both were held at the Hilo police cellblock pending their initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon (May 25).

The charges stemmed from an incident in which the victim, a 38-year-old Mountain View man, reported that on Sunday at about 7:45 p.m., while he was at a park near the Mountain View gym, he willingly met with both Martin and Borowski. During the interaction, the victim reported that one of the suspects brandished a firearm and forcibly removed his personal property before fleeing the park in a light-colored sports-utility vehicle. The victim did not sustain any injuries during the robbery.

On Monday (May 23) both Martin and Borowski were arrested in Hilo and were held in police custody while detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section conducted further investigation. Detectives executed a search warrant on a residence in Hilo, where they recovered a firearm and other evidence.

Police ask that witnesses who may have been in the area of the Mountain View gym Sunday evening and may have witnessed the incident call Detective Joel Field at 961-2381.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

Firearm Fingerprinting Fee to Drop Next Week

The fee for obtaining a fingerprint check in connection with a firearm permit will change next week.

Beginning March 2, the one-time fee for the fingerprint check will be reduced from $30.25 to $19.25. As before, payment must be made by money order or cashier’s check only, payable to Hawai’i Criminal Justice Data Center.

The fingerprint check is required the first time a person applies for a firearm permit.