Several law enforcement agencies converged Friday on a 3-acre parcel in Hawaiian Acres, looking for a man thought to be behind threats allegedly made against a Hilo Circuit Court judge.
Several law enforcement agencies converged Friday on a 3-acre parcel in Hawaiian Acres, looking for a man thought to be behind threats allegedly made against a Hilo Circuit Court judge.
A search warrant was executed and a manhunt is on for 33-year-old Ronald Joseph Kong of Mountain View.
“He remains at large and the search continues,” police Lt. Greg Esteban of the Hilo Criminal Investigations Section said early Friday evening. “We do have leads that we are following up on.”
Esteban said Big Island police, including its Special Response Team, was assisted by bomb squads from the Honolulu Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“They scoured the property, and no explosives were found,” Esteban said.
Esteban said Kong, who is wanted on suspicion of abuse of a family household member, second-degree assault, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, and first-degree terroristic threatening cases for allegedly assaulting and threatening a 31-year-old woman in a dispute that occurred Jan. 4 in Puna, will face additional charges once he is apprehended.
Police say they were provided information Monday that a Circuit Court judge might have been threatened. Esteban wouldn’t identify the judge but said security was tightened at the Hilo courthouse.
Detectives reportedly spotted Kong on Tuesday driving a late-model Toyota pickup truck south on Volcano Highway (Highway 11) in Mountain View. The truck, which was stolen, was stopped near Kukui Camp Road. Police say Kong fled on foot into thick brush and eluded capture.
The passenger in the stolen vehicle, a 31-year-old woman, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree hindering prosecution but was released without being charged.
The truck was recovered as evidence and police executed a search warrant on it and a backpack. According to a written police statement, Kong is facing possible additional charges as a result of that search. A Honolulu TV news outlet reported police found guns and an explosive device in the truck, but the Tribune-Herald was unable to confirm that information.
Police describe Kong as 5 feet, 9 inches tall, about 190 pounds with brown hair and eyes.
He is considered extremely dangerous and anyone who sees him should call 911.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.