UPDATE: Hawai‘i Island police identify man who barricaded himself in South Kona following domestic dispute

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the latest information released from Hawai‘i Island police on Wednesday, May 20.

Hawai‘i Island police identified the man taken into custody Tuesday evening after barricading himself in a South Kona home with firearms and a 2-year-old child as Earl Lewis Camacho.

Hawai‘i Island Police Assistant Chief Rio Amon-Wilkins said Kona Patrol officers initially responded to the domestic incident on the 85-4000 block of Hawai‘i Belt Road in Captain Cook at 8:45 p.m. after reports of a dispute between Camacho and his 25-year-old girlfriend.

“Police learned that Camacho had allegedly assaulted the woman and was armed with a firearm while holding their 2-year-old daughter,” according to a press release from police on Wednesday, May 20.

When they arrived on scene, officers discovered the 43-year-old man had barricaded himself inside a home and was armed with several firearms, Amon-Wilkins said.

“Officers observed Camacho carrying the child and what appeared to be a rifle,” the release stated. “Camacho refused officers’ commands and barricaded himself inside the residence. During the incident, Camacho repeatedly yelled at officers to shoot him and was observed pointing what appeared to be three different-looking firearms at officers and at the child he was holding.”

The crisis negotiation team, along with the Hawai‘i Police Department’s Special Response Team, was called out, and Camacho surrendered to police without incident at around 11:18 p.m.

The 2-year-old child was unharmed and reunited with her mother.

Amon-Wilkins said police did secure a search warrant for the residence and officers were on scene Wednesday morning.

Camacho remains in police custody while detectives with the Area II Juvenile Aid Section continue the investigation. He is facing multiple charges of first-degree terroristic threatening and abuse of a family or household member. Charges have not been officially filed.

Police ask anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Detective Aaron Yamanaka at 808-326-4646, ext. 304, or via email at Aaron.Yamanaka@hawaiipolice.gov.