Standoff suspect granted mental exam, freed by judge

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A Kona judge has freed a 32-year-old Ocean View man accused of breaking and entering a home and then engaging police in a lengthy armed standoff on Sunday.

Kona District Judge Kimberly Tsuchiya on Tuesday granted supervised release —a form of cashless bail — to Kamren Adams.

Adams is charged with first-degree burglary and first-degree terroristic threatening in connection with the break-in and standoff, which occurred at an Alaoli Drive home in Ocean View

Adams’ freedom came at the request of his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Lezlie Kiaha, and was granted over the objection of Deputy Prosecutor Robert Gebbia, who requested that the judge maintain Adams’ $70,000 bail.

Tsuchiya also granted the defense’s request that Adams receive a mental examination for fitness to stand trial and penal responsibility, the latter referring to Adams’ mental state at the time of the alleged offenses.

Adams was ordered to return to court on June 19.

According to police, at about 8:20 a.m. Sunday, a 37-year-old Ocean View woman reported a man had broken into a home she was caretaker for. According to police, the woman said she was in a fourth-floor bedroom when she heard what she thought was a gunshot. Looking down, the woman said an unfamiliar man was banging on the front door and demanding to to enter the home.

After telling the man to go away and calling the police, the woman said she heard glass shattering and the man was inside. When she told him to leave and that she had called the police the man allegedly brandished a black semi-automatic pistol and said something to the effect of, “where’s my wife and kid? I’m gonna kill them.”

The woman reportedly ran, hid and was later able to escape the home, but saw the man with what appeared to be a black AR-15-type rifle with a scope, yelling obscenities and threatening to kill anyone present.

When officers arrived, they saw a shirtless man at the top of the driveway with a black semi-automatic pistol. Police say the man ran inside when he saw them and barricaded himself in the house.

The department’s SWAT team and crisis negotiators were called to the scene and Adams came out after several hours and surrendered without further incident, police said.

First-degree burglary is a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, upon conviction. First-degree terroristic threatening is a Class C felony which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, upon conviction.

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.