BJ Penn arrested, charged with violating protective order filed by his mother

Retired UFC champion Jay Dee “BJ” Penn of Hilo was has been arrested and charged with violating a court order for protection that was extended last month by a Hilo judge at the request of his 79-year-old mother.

Hilo patrol officers responded just after 4 p.m. Sept. 15 to an area of Pu‘u‘eo Street in Hilo. Upon their arrival, officers determined Penn had entered a property in violation of the protective order, which his mother Lorraine Shin filed for and received in May after Penn allegedly assaulted her outside her home on Pu‘u‘eo Street.

The 46-year-old Penn was later located in the area and arrested without incident.

He was charged Sept. 16 with the violation. His bail was set at $2,000, which he later posted and was released.

Penn was arrested in late May on family abuse charges after allegedly taking Shin’s mail — which would be a federal offense — and shoving his elderly mother into a vehicle. Shin also testified during an earlier hearing that her son shined a high-powered flashlight in her face and might have tampered with a door lock at her home.

She called Hawai‘i Island police that night.

Penn claims his real mom and other family members have been replaced by imposters. His family claims it is the result of him suffering from a mental disorder called Capgras syndrome,

It is a rare delusional disorder where a person thinks that a familiar individual, such as a close family member or friend, has been replaced by an identical imposter.

The exact cause is unknown, but it is thought to be related to a disruption in the brain’s mechanisms for recognizing and processing faces, with possible contributing factors including schizophrenia, dementia, brain injury and substance abuse.

The 46-year-old cannot contact his mother nor come within 100-yards of her home, according to the terms of the protective order.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Hawai‘i Police Department Hilo Patrol Officer Elieser Quinones via email at elieser.quinones@hawaiicounty.gov.