Police have arrested and charged 31-year-old Bernard K. Antoque, who was wanted in connection with the robbery of a taxi driver in Hilo.
Police have arrested and charged 31-year-old Bernard K. Antoque, who was wanted in connection with the robbery of a taxi driver in Hilo.
Antoque, who has no permanent address, was arrested Thursday evening on suspicion of robbery and held at the Hilo police cellblock while detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section continued the investigation.
At 3:40 p.m. Friday, after conferring with prosecutors, detectives charged him with first-degree terroristic threatening, third-degree theft and fourth-degree theft. His bail was set at $37,000. He remains at the cellblock pending his initial court appearance on Monday.
On April 6, at 10:07 a.m., police received a report from a 59-year-old taxi driver that after he picked up a fare in the Banyan Drive area, he transported him to the Mountain View area in Puna. The fare claimed he did not have money to pay for the ride and asked to be taken to another location. After the driver refused, the fare assaulted and threatened the driver and took the driver’s bag containing cash. The driver forced the fare out of the cab and drove to Keaau to report the robbery to police.
The victim was initially treated by Hawaii Fire Department medics. He was later treated at Hilo Medical Center for minor injuries and released.