A 32-year-old Ocean View man has been charged with second-degree attempted murder for allegedly stabbing a 39-year-old man on July 18 who had hired the accused assailant as a construction day laborer.
According to court documents filed by police, Kekoa Duguran — who also faces second-degree burglary and first-degree terroristic threatening — had become argumentative and hostile when the victim criticized the quality of the work he and another man, Duguran’s cousin, were doing on a site in Keopu Mauka Drive in Holualoa.
Duguran allegedly challenged the victim to a fight, picked up a 10-pound sledgehammer and confronted the man with it.
When the victim allegedly said he didn’t want to fight and wanted to work because he has a family to feed, Duguran purportedly ranted, “You think we are some kind of punks? You think we are idiots? Who do you think we are?”
The construction boss reportedly thought he had deescalated the incident and was driving Duguran and the other man back to Ocean View when Duguran allegedly started stabbing the victim in the neck and face.
The victim slammed the brakes on the Ford F-150 pickup truck and managed to wrestle the knife away from Duguran, the documents state.
The victim reportedly jumped out of the truck and found someone nearby who drove him to Kona Community Hospital, where he underwent surgery and received a blood transfusion.
Duguran, who allegedly fled the truck on foot, was arrested Thursday and charged Saturday. The burglary charge was unrelated to the alleged attack.
At Duguran’s initial court appearance Monday, Deputy Public Defender Evans Smith requested supervised release — a form of cashless bail — or a reduction of Duguran’s $500,000 bail to $100,000. Kona District Judge Kimberly Taniyama denied the request, as well as an oral motion by Smith to dismiss the charges, telling Smith he may file a written motion.
Taniyama ordered Duguran to appear today for a preliminary hearing.
Duguran, who has one prior felony conviction for first-degree assault, faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole if convicted on the attempted murder charge.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.