Pāhoa man faces slew of charges after threatening to light 15-year-old on fire

A Puna man was arrested and now faces several charges after an incident earlier this week during which he poured gasoline on a teenage boy and threatened to start him on fire.

George Dale Foote Jr. of Pāhoa is charged with:

• First-degree terroristic threatening.
• First-degree attempted assault.
• Second-degree assault.
• Third-degree assault.
• Second-degree reckless endangering.

Foote’s bail was set at $24,000. He was released on bond and is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Aug. 1 in Puna District Court.

Puna Patrol officers responded at about 4 p.m. Tuesday to a reported panic alarm at a residence in the area of the 15-100 block of Kamanu Street in Pāhoa, where 38-year-old Foote had reported an intruder on his property.

Upon arriving, officers contacted Foote’s live-in girlfriend and mother of the 15-year-old male victim, who was visiting the residence.

The teenager told officers that after knocking on the residence’s door, Foote came out, threatened him, instructed him to leave and then grabbed a small bucket with what was thought to be gasoline and a torch lighter from the back of his pickup truck.

When the teen requested to speak with his mother, Foote threatened to pour the gasoline on him and light him on fire.

After Foote called out for the boy’s mother, who did not come out of the residence, he doused the teen with the gasoline, causing the boy’s eyes to burn. The teen retreated to the roadway, where Foote followed after him and the teen reported hearing Foote ignite the torch lighter.

Foote was subsequently arrested at the scene without incident.

The 15-year-old was treated at the scene by Hawai‘i Fire Department personnel.