A Puna woman pleaded no contest to a felony robbery charge in connection with a December 2020 incident along Highway 130 in Puna.
Hawai‘i County Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen announced Wednesday that 25 year-old Tiane Kapeli-Spencer, will be sentenced Feb. 16, 2022, for a Dec. 27, 2020, rental car robbery incident involving a tourist.
On Dec. 1, 2021, Kapeli-Spencer entered her no contest plea to second-degree robbery, a Class B felony that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Kapeli-Spencer stipulated to revocation of her felony probation upon making her plea.
Court documents indicate that Kapeli-Spencer agreed to serve the maximum 10-year prison term, which will be served concurrently to her felony revocation matters. She has remained in custody throughout the criminal proceedings.
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The initial investigation was handled by Hawai‘i Police Department’s Puna Patrol and the Area I Criminal Investigation Section. The follow-up investigation and arrest was handled by Sgt. Christopher Jelsma of HPD’s South Kohala Patrol, who was formerly with the Area I Special Enforcement Unit.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Hashizaki.
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