Pāhoa man arrested, charged following reported shooting incident in Puna

A Pāhoa man has been arrested and charged with terroristic threatening, numerous firearm-related offenses and others in connection with a violent altercation Monday morning in a Puna subdivision.

The Hawai‘i Police Department says 45-year-old Kiha Rodney Stone Kaahu was arrested Monday following a reported shooting incident at a residence on Luana Street in Leilani Estates. After conferring with the Hawai‘i County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, detectives on Wednesday charged Kaahu with the following offenses:

• First-degree terroristic threatening.
• Ownership or possession of firearm prohibited.
• Ownership or possession of ammunition prohibited.
• Place to keep pistol or revolver.
• Obtaining firearm with no serial number (ghost gun).
• Carrying or possessing a loaded firearm on public highways.
• Butterfly knife prohibited.
• Third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug.

His bail was set at $132,000.

In addition to those charges, Kaahu was also arrested and charged for discharge of sureties stemming from a previous incident in which he was charged with unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, first-degree theft, reckless driving and third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug. His bail for those offenses remained at $40,000.

Kaahu remains in police custody pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Friday in Hilo District Court.

The new charges against Kaahu stem from an incident reported shortly after 10:45 a.m. Monday, when Puna patrol officers responded to the Luana Street residence for an alleged shooting. Responding officers contacted the 20-year-old female victim who reported she and Kaahu were involved in a verbal argument when Kaahu pulled out a pistol, pointed it at her and fired a single shot at her. The victim was not hit by the bullet and did not receive any injuries during the altercation. Kaahu and the victim are acquaintances.

Immediately after the incident, Kaahu reportedly left the area as a passenger in a gray-colored older model Isuzu SUV-type vehicle.

The Hawai‘i Police Department’s Area I Criminal Investigation Section was contacted to assist in the investigation and while en route to the scene, detectives made checks at a residence on Maile Street in Leilani Estates that Kaahu is known to frequent. The Isuzu SUV was on the property and as officers approached, Kaahu was seen sleeping in the vehicle’s front passenger seat and he was subsequently taken into custody.

Upon his arrest, Kaahu had a butterfly knife in his pants pocket and a soft pistol case was observed at his feet on the vehicle’s floorboard.

The Isuzu was recovered as evidence and after obtaining a search warrant to search the vehicle, detectives later recovered the loaded un-serialized pistol, ammunition and a minute amount of methamphetamine.

Anyone who might have information relative to this incident is asked to contact the Police Department on its nonemergency line at 808-935-3311 or Detective Jeremy Kubojiri at 808-961-2378. Kubojiri also can be reached via email at Jeremy.Kubojiri@hawaiicounty.gov.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300.