Puna Man Charged With 13 Offenses
Patrick Noah Torres of Pāhoa, age 30, has been arrested and charged with 13 felony and misdemeanor offenses in connection with a sexual assault in Hilo on Monday morning, Oct. 3.
After conferring with the Hawaiʻi Island Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, detectives charged Torres with two counts of misdemeanor custodial interference, two counts of petty misdemeanor prohibitions involving minors (liquor), seven counts of Class C felony sexual assault and two counts of Class A felony sexual assault. His bail was set at $35,500.
A female and male minor reported walking to school in the heavy rain and stopping for shelter near a store in the Puna District.
Torres offered them a ride to school in his truck. Instead of driving them to school, he drove them to several locations in the Puna and South Hilo Districts, where he sexually assaulted the female minor. The female minor did not receive physical injuries other than the sexual assault.
Torres posted bail. His initial court appearance is scheduled in South Hilo District Court on Nov. 1.
Police ask anyone with information about this incident to contact Detective Jesse Kerr at 961-8843 or jesse.kerr@hawaiicounty.gov.
Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the islandwide Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300 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. Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.