Mountain View woman faces firearms, criminal property damage, other charges connected with 2 separate incidents

A 31-year-old Big Island woman faces multiple charges connected with an incident earlier this month and another in January.

Levon Vares-Young of Mountain View was charged with four counts of ownership or possession of a firearm prohibited and four counts of ownership or possession of ammunition prohibited in relation to an incident July 19. She also was charged with second-degree criminal property damage, third-degree criminal property damage, second-degree criminal trespass, second-degree resisting an order to stop a motor vehicle, duty upon striking unattended vehicle or other property and fraudulent use of license plates in connection with a Jan. 15 incident.

The most serious charge, ownership or possession of a firearm and/or ammunition prohibited, is a Class B felony punishable by either a 10-year prison term or four-years probation and up to 18 months in jail. Second-degree criminal property damage is a Class C felony that carries a penalty of either a 5-year prison term or 4 years probation and up to 12 months in jail.

Vares-Young made her initial court appearance on the firearms charges Friday in Hilo District Court. Her bail in that case was previously set at $200,000. She appeared Thursday in Hilo District Court for the charges related to criminal property damage and resisting an order to stop. Her bail was maintained at $15,000 and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for July 24.

The felony investigation was led by the Hawai‘i Police Department Crime Reduction Unit of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section. Vares-Young’s arrest was a collaborative effort between the department’s Crime Reduction Unit, Puna Patrol and Puna Community Policing Section.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Hawai‘i County Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Soong.