Police charged a Hilo man with a robbery Wednesday at a Hilo store.
Police charged a Hilo man with a robbery Wednesday at a Hilo store.
At 11:46 a.m. Wednesday, officers responded to a report of a robbery outside a department store at a Puainako Street shopping center.
Police determined a man had entered the store and concealed merchandise in his backpack. He then left the store without paying. When a 23-year-old store employee approached the suspect, the suspect struck the employee in the head with a closed fist and then left the area on foot, heading toward another shopping area across Makaala Street, police said. The victim didn’t require medical assistance.
Officers were able to locate a man matching the suspect’s description in the parking lot of the second shopping area. After further investigation, he was arrested and taken to the Hilo police cellblock, where he was identified as 26-year-old Lance A. Ulep of Hilo, who was wanted on a bench warrant for violating probation in another case.
At 8:20 p.m. Thursday, Ulep was charged with strong-arm robbery, misdemeanor theft and assault, plus trespassing.
Ulep was taken to Hawaii Community Correctional Center in lieu of $6,250 bail.