Three South Kona men charged after allegedly stabbing a man with a machete

A night drinking at a friend’s ended with one man being stabbed with a machete, another being threatened with the weapon and three arrests.

The incident occurred on Saturday. Shortly after 11:40 p.m., Kona patrol officers responded to the Kona Community Hospital for a 27-year-old male with an 8-centimeter stab wound to the stomach.

Through the course of their investigation, officers learned that the stabbing victim along with a second victim, a 23-year-old male, were drinking at a friend’s residence in South Kona when an argument broke out between the two victims and the three suspects, later identified as Axeen Adrian Chavez, 35, Daniel Jacobo Cortes, 28, and 41-year old Enrique Guardado Garcia.

The 27-year-old victim reported that the suspects held him against his will, punched and kicked him several times, and stabbed him in the stomach with a machete. The victim fled the residence and went to a nearby resident for help. He was transported to the Kona Community Hospital.

The 23-year-old victim reported that he was also held against his will by the suspects, punched several times in the face, had the machete held up to his neck and was threatened that he was going to be killed.

The three suspects were later located and taken into police custody, and the machete allegedly used in the assault was recovered as evidence.

Chavez, Cortes and Garcia were each charged with three counts of second-degree assault, first-degree terroristic threatening and two counts of kidnapping.

Bail for each of the suspects was set at $28,000.

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact Acting Detective Joel Furuto via email at [email protected] or at 808-326-4646 ext.281.