Elderly man found beaten in Hilo; suspect in custody

A Hilo man is facing charges after an elderly man was found badly beaten in the back of a van in East Hawai‘i.

The incident occurred sometime between Tuesday evening and early Wednesday. The 62-year-old was found when Hawai‘i Island police responded to a parking lot in the area of the 300 block of Manono Street, in Hilo, at 8:27 a.m. on a report of a female party who discovered the severely beaten body lying in the back of his van.

Officers found the victim to have both eyes swollen shut, his forehead swollen, and a large laceration on the bridge of his nose. Hawai‘i Fire Department medics transported the victim to the Hilo Medical Center Emergency Room for treatment.

While interviewing the victim, he was able to positively identify the suspect as 32-year-old Wallace Manuarii Tahutini as the person who assaulted him.

Officers familiar with Tahutini canvassed the downtown Hilo area where Tahutini is known to frequent and located him in a County parking lot in the area of the Kamehameha Avenue and Pauahi Street intersection. Tahutini was arrested for assault, without incident and was transported to the Hawai’i Police Department East Hawai’i Detention Center for booking, processing, and continued investigation by Area I Criminal Investigation Section detectives.

As they continued the investigation, detectives learned the victim had sustained both substantial and serious bodily injuries to various areas of his body, including the head, face, shoulder and upper arm. He remains hospitalized in stable condition.

After conferring with the County Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday detectives with the Area I Criminal Investigation Section charged Tahutini with two counts of first-degree assault and one count of second-degree assault.

His bail was set at $120,000.

Tahutini remains in custody at the Hawai‘i Police Department East Hawai’i Detention Center pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Friday afternoon.

Police ask that anyone with information regarding this incident contact Detective David Poohina at 808-961-2385, or via email at david.poohina@hawaiicounty.gov or the department’s non-emergency number at 808-935-3311.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the islandwide Crime Stoppers number at 808-961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.