Puna Man Charged with Kuhio Beach Robbery

Kawa Salas. HPD photo.

A Puna man has been charged with robbery in connection with a confrontation last week at a beach in Hilo.

On Thursday morning, Sept. 8, three men approached a 59-year-old Mountain View man at Kuhio Beach. While one man held the victim down, the other two took his ‘ukulele, cell phone and wallet. The three then fled on bicycles.

A short time later, police located one of the suspects, Kawa Salas, 28, of Glenwood, who was hiding in bushes not far away. He was arrested and taken to the Hilo police cellblock while detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section continued the investigation.

At 10:45 p.m. Friday, Salas was charged with second-degree robbery. His bail was set at $5,000.

Detectives are still investigating the identities of the other two men. Police ask anyone with information about this case to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311 or contact Detective Robert Almeida at 961-2386.