Eric James Fontes Jr. has been charged in the murder of Barton Allen Bumatay.
Fontes, 34, was arrested Tuesday in connection to the murder of a man whose body was found over the weekend in the area of Beach Road, off Maku’u Drive in the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision.
Bumatay, 59, was identified through dental records, according to the Hawai’i Police Department. He had been reported missing since Dec. 31.
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An autopsy determined that Bumatay died from gunshot wounds.
Authorities say Bumatay’s stolen truck was recovered in Mountain View on Wednesday.
On Thursday afternoon at 1:10 p.m., detectives charged Fontes with second-degree murder, second-degree theft, ownership/possession prohibited, and two counts of terroristic threatening.
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Fontes was also charged with two unrelated drug offenses: promoting a dangerous drug and possessing drug paraphernalia.
Bail for Fontes was set at $725,000. He is being held at the Hilo police cellblock pending his initial court appearance, scheduled for Friday.
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