Kona Man Who Imprisoned Minor Sentenced to 5 Years

A 47-year-old Kona man was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday, July 22 for unlawful imprisonment of a minor.

Alexander Aquino, who was found guilty of the first-degree offense in May, received the maximum term in Kona Circuit Court, Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen announced in a press release.

The case stemmed from a chain of events that occurred between Aug. 1, 2020 and Aug. 21, 2021, where Aquino knowingly restrained a minor under circumstances which exposed the minor to the risk of serious bodily injury, a class C felony. The offense carried a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Aquino, who remained on supervised release for the majority of the pendency of these criminal proceedings, was taken into custody immediately to begin serving his prison term, the press release stated.

“This was a case of family violence, child abuse, and neglect,” Waltjen said. “We pray that today’s sentencing brings some sense of justice to those involved. This type of behavior will not be tolerated nor should any child have to endure this type of abuse. Our Office will continue to work with law enforcement and our legislature to establish the
creation of laws to better protect our keiki.”

If you believe a child is in immediate danger, please call 911. To report suspected child abuse or neglect, call the Child Abuse and Neglect reporting line at 1-888-380-6688. Child welfare services will walk callers through the process on how to make a report.