Police charge Pāhoa man with multiple firearm and drug charges

Hawai‘i Island police arrested and charged 30-year-old Guy M. Nobriga with an array of firearms and drug offenses stemming from an incident involving gunshots was reported on Thursday, Feb. 6 in the Hawaiian Beaches subdivision of Pāhoa.

Around 11:35 p.m. Puna patrol officers responded to a report of gunshots heard coming from a red Honda sedan in the area of the intersection of Kahakai Boulevard and Ahi Street in Pāhoa on Thursday night.

When responding officers conducted checks of the area, they observed a red Honda sedan leaving the area that matched the description of the involved vehicle. Officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle for an unrelated traffic violation and identified Nobriga as the driver and 32-year-old Elizabeth F. Lee, of Pāhoa, as the passenger within the vehicle.

Nobriga was placed under arrest for an outstanding bench warrant and officers then observed a black handgun, in plain view, partially under the front driver’s seat within the vehicle.

Nobriga and Lee were placed under arrest and the vehicle was recovered as evidence for the investigation to be continued by detectives of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section.

Upon execution of a search warrant on the vehicle, detectives recovered a loaded Glock semi-automatic pistol, which was later determined to have been reported stolen in a previous incident. The magazine within the pistol was also determined to exceed the legal capacity of ten rounds of ammunition. Detectives also recovered from within the vehicle:

• 1.77 grams of methamphetamine
• 15.52 grams of dried marijuana
• Drug paraphernalia
• Digital scale indicative of drug distribution

On Saturday, Feb. 8, upon conferral with the Hawai’i County Prosecutors Office, Nobriga was charged with:

• Place to keep pistol or revolver
• Ownership possession prohibited
• Ownership possession prohibited-ammunition
• Possession prohibited-illegal magazine
• Carrying or possessing a loaded firearm on public highway
• Second-degree reckless endangering
• Carrying or use of firearm in the commission of a separate felony
• First-degree theft (of Firearm)
• Two counts of third-degree promoting a dangerous drug
• Second-degree promoting a dangerous drug
• Two counts of third-degree promoting a detrimental drug
• Driving without a valid driver’s license

Nobriga’s bail was set at $477,000. After making his initial court appearance in Hilo District Court on Monday afternoon, a preliminary hearing was set for Wednesday, Feb. 12.

Lee was released pending further investigation.

The Area I Criminal Investigation Section is continuing this investigation. Police ask anyone who may have witnessed this incident to contact Detective Sybastian Keltner of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section, at (808) 961-2378, or via email at Sybastian.Keltner@hawaiicounty.gov.