A 32-year-old man is in police custody following a double stabbing early Monday at a park in Hilo.
A 32-year-old man is in police custody following a double stabbing early Monday at a park in Hilo.
At 12:21 a.m. Monday, South Hilo Patrol officers responded to a report of a stabbing during a disturbance at Wailoa State Recreation Area.
Officers found two victims in a private vehicle bound for Hilo Medical Center, a 27-year-old Pahoa man with a stab wound to the throat and a 24-year-old Pahoa woman with a cut on her right leg. Officers followed the victims to the hospital. Police determined that the victims had been injured when a verbal argument became physical.
Other officers en route to the park found a man matching the description of the suspect walking on Piilani Street. The man, 32-year-old David Lester Bars, who has no permanent address, was arrested on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder and second-degree assault. He was taken to the Hilo police cellblock while detectives from Hilo Criminal Investigations Section investigate.
The male victim was treated for his injuries and remains at the hospital in serious condition. The female victim was treated for her injuries and released from the hospital.
Police ask anyone who witnessed the confrontation to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311 or contact Detective Dean Uyetake at 961-2379 or dean.uyetake@hawaiicounty.gov. Those who prefer anonymity may call Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.