A 37-year-old man accused of brutally beating a 75-year-old woman outside Hale Inu Sports Bar in Hilo pleaded not guilty Wednesday.
Hilo Circuit Judge Peter Kubota ordered Zachary Babosh to appear for trial at 9 a.m. Oct. 4.
Babosh, who is in custody in lieu of $100,000 bail for allegedly assaulting Paulette Stabile on April 10, appeared via video teleconference from Hawaii Community Correctional Center because of a COVID-19 outbreak at the Hilo jail, where he’s incarcerated.
Stabile, who was hospitalized after the attack, suffered multiple facial fractures, three missing front teeth, heavy bruising and swelling to both eyes, the bridge of the nose, mouth and left side of her face, according to court documents. She also sustained 2-inch lacerations under her left eye and above her upper lip.
Babosh was indicted May 12 by a Hilo grand jury for first-degree assault, a Class B felony that carries a potential 10-year prison term upon conviction.
Ivan Van Leer, Babosh’s attorney, requested a reduction in bail to $50,000, describing his client as a “straightforward, straight up individual.”
“He was living a good, decent life until this event occurred. He had other issues, no doubt about it. But life was coming together for him immediately before this point in time,” Van Leer told the judge.
Deputy Prosecutor Kimberly Angay objected, describing Babosh as “an extremely violent person” and “multi-state offender” with felony convictions in Michigan. She added there are outstanding extradition warrants for Babosh in Michigan for kidnapping and Florida for assault and failure to appear.
“The defendant violently assaulted a 75-year-old woman in a bar (and) continued to beat on her after she was unconscious on the ground,” Angay said. “She still suffers debilitating injuries to this day. At the time, he was on probation for terroristic threatening in the first-degree and violation of a restraining order. … Right after the assault, he fled to Oahu and had to be brought back by the marshals.”
Kubota maintained Babosh’s bail at $100,000, and he remains in custody at HCCC.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.