Puna manʻs bail reduced following attempted murder charge

Update at 4:44 p.m.April 22: The bail for Vasiliy Trubachev, a 31-year-old man charged with attempted murder, was reduced to $500,000, despite objection from Prosecuting Attorney Lucas Barns, during his initial appearance in Hilo District Court on Monday afternoon. Trubachev is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on April 24, 2024.

Original post: A Kea‘au man was officially charged with second-degree attempted murder following a shooting in Puna that left a 32-year-old man injured.

Vasiliy Viktorovich Trubachev was taken into custody on April 19 and was officially charged on Sunday after a search of the Hawaiian Paradise Park home where the 31-year-old was staying turned up miscellaneous evidence related to this incident.

Trubachev is also charged with carrying or use of a firearm in the commission of a separate felony. His bail has been set at $1,100,000.

This is not the first time Trubachev has been charged with a violent crime. In 2019, he pleaded no contest to third-degree assault and unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle.

Shortly before 11 a.m. on April 19, Hawai‘i Island police responded to an unknown type of disturbance at a residence on 7th Avenue in Hawaiian Paradise Park. Responding Puna patrol officers learned that a male acquaintance of Trubachev had come to the residence where an altercation ensued; he reportedly threatened several individuals while armed with a knife and glass bottle.

The acquaintance then reportedly assaulted several individuals at the residence, before leaving the area on foot. While investigating, officers were informed by passersby, that there was a male on the ground in the area of 6th Avenue and Maku‘u Drive, who was injured and bleeding.

As officers went to investigate, they located the man who reported he had been shot multiple times by Trubachev.

Officers immediately began providing first aid to the man until Hawai‘i Fire Department personnel arrived and transported the victim via ambulance to the Hilo Medical Center Emergency Room. He remains hospitalized in stable condition.

Trubachev was arrested at the 7th Avenue residence without incident and was transported to the East Hawai’i Detention Center pending investigation.

Police ask anyone who may have witnessed this incident to contact the police department’s non-emergency number at 808-935-3311 or Detective Christopher Jelsma of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at 808-961-2386 or email at Christopher.Jelsma@hawaiicounty.gov.