Volcano Woman Charged in Armed Carjacking

Tearon Pacheco-Fernandez. PC: HPD

The Hawaiʻi Police Department has charged a Volcano woman with several offenses ranging from robbery to gun charges after an incident that occurred Friday night, March 6, on Makaʻala Street in Hilo.

The female has been identified as Tearon Pacheco-Fernandez.

On Friday, at approximately 7:45 p.m., South Hilo Patrol officers were initially assigned to a report of gunshots and a report of attempted vehicle theft in the parking lot of a fast-food establishment on Makaʻala Street. Upon contacting the elderly male victim, he reported after parking his vehicle in the parking lot of the establishment he was approached by a masked individual with a shotgun.

The suspect demanded the male victim’s car keys. The victim refused and at that point, the masked subject fired a shot just over the victim’s head, according to a police report. The victim then attempted to run toward the entrance of the establishment and while doing so, the subject fired another gunshot over his head. The victim fell onto the ground and sustained minor injuries, which he was treated for at the scene, police said.

The subject was then seen removing property from the victim’s vehicle before getting into a silver-colored pickup truck with two other individuals and leaving the area. The victim was able to get the license plate of the suspect’s vehicle and provide it to the police.

While officers were investigating this incident, additional information was obtained that a similar type of incident had just occurred across the street in the parking lot of a retail establishment on Makaʻala Street. In that incident, an unidentified subject entered the rear cab of the victim’s 4-door pick-up truck and sprayed him with a chemical agent, believed to be pepper spray, police said. The victim managed to exit his vehicle and set off the panic alarm. The subject was then seen getting into a pickup truck and leaving the area.

Police determined that this incident occurred just before the incident across the street at the fast-food establishment. This victim was transported to the Hilo Medical Center, where he was treated and released.

Police followed up on the license plate of the vehicle the suspect(s) left in. The vehicle was located at a residence in the Kaumana area of Hilo. Three individuals were subsequently arrested at the residence. The individuals arrested are identified as 36-year-old Shannon L.Y. Estocado, 25-year-old Shalton K. Estocado and Pacheco-Fernandez.

While at the residence, police observed the suspect vehicle as well as property taken from the vehicle at the incident in the food establishment parking lot. Police reported that they also noticed stolen property from a separate burglary, which had been reported earlier Friday morning in the Panaewa area of Hilo.

Area I Criminal Investigation Section personnel responded to the scene to assist in this investigation and to obtain a search warrant for the Kaumana area home.

Upon serving the search warrant at the residence, police recovered 31 marijuana plants, a loaded firearm which had been reported stolen from a burglary in 2018, numerous items from the burglary reported Friday morning in Panaewa, property taken from the vehicle in the robbery at the fast-food establishment parking lot on Makaʻala Street, as well as drug paraphernalia and other evidence linking these individuals to these crimes, police said.

Upon conferring with prosecutors, the Estocado brothers were released pending further investigation. Pacheco-Fernandez was charged with two counts of first-degree Robbery (Emergency Period), two counts of Reckless Endangering, two counts of Unauthorized Entry into a Motor Vehicle (UEMV), first-degree Terroristic Threatening, Use of a Firearm in a Separate Felony, Ownership/Possession Firearm Prohibited, Loaded Firearm on Highway, second-degree Robbery, Burglary of a Dwelling (Emergency Period), first-degree Burglary, first-degree Theft (Emergency Period), second-degree Theft, and fourth-degree theft. Her bail was set at $376,000.

In addition to the above-listed offenses, Pacheco-Fernandez was also arrested for Discharge of Sureties. She was currently out on bond.

Pacheco-Fernandez had her initial court appearance in the South Hilo District Court on Monday afternoon, March 9.

Police detectives are continuing their investigation into these incidents, as well as additional cases the Estocado brothers and Pacheco-Fernandez are linked to.

Police ask anyone who may have witnessed either incident on Friday evening on Makaʻala Street, or who may have additional information regarding these individuals to call Detective Wendall Carter or make contact via email at [email protected].