Suspect accused of shattering window of moving car in Hilo gets reduced bail

A Hilo District Court judge reduced bail for a suspect facing criminal property damage charges after shattering the rear driver’s side window of a moving vehicle.

On Monday, May 4, Reed Nakamura, 43, appeared before Judge Jeffrey Hawk on charges of first- and fourth-degree property damage. Hawk reduced Nakamura’s bail from $51,000 to $10,000 over objections of the Hawai‘i County prosecuting attorney.

The charges stem from an incident on May 1 when Nakamura allegedly threw an object at the window of a Tesla sedan headed north on Kanoelehua Avenue in Hilo at around 8 p.m.

A 28-year-old woman was seated in the rear passenger seat when the object hit the car, according to the probable cause statement filed in court.

Video surveillance captured Nakamura throwing circular objects at the vehicle as the driver was turning from Makala Street, according to court documents.

The passenger told police she heard a loud sound and saw the glass window shatter.

“She felt terrified for her safety,” the court document indicates.

While a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, the prosecutor’s office filed a felony information charging document in the 3rd Circuit Court late Monday night, moving the case for review in the higher court.

First-degree criminal property damage is a class B felony and carries a penalty of either a 10-year prison term or four years’ probation and up to 18 months in jail.