On Monday, August 30, 2021, around 5:55 p.m., a 52-year-old man reported that while he was walking along Ali‘i Drive, an unknown male party approached him, assaulted him without provocation, and fled the area on foot. As a result of the assault, the male victim received injuries but declined medical attention. During the course of the investigation, the victim positively identified Moreno as the person who assaulted him.
Later that same night at 11:15 p.m., a 36-year-old woman reported that as she was walking along Ali‘i Drive she was unexpectedly assaulted, causing her to fall to the ground. The unknown male suspect took some of her belongings without her permission and fled the area on foot.
On Tuesday, August 31, Kona patrol officers located and apprehended Moreno without incident on Ali‘i Drive near Hale Halawai Park. He was transported to the Kona police station while detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigation Section (CIS) continued the investigation.
As part of the investigation, some of the items that the 36-year-old woman reported stolen were recovered with physical evidence linking Moreno to the female victim and the crime scene.
After conferring with the County Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday, September 1, police charged Moreno with one count of assault in the third degree and one count of robbery in the second degree. His total bail was set at $25,500.
Moreno is being held at the Kelakehe Police Station in lieu of bail and is scheduled to appear in Kona District Court on Thursday, September 2.
Police are asking that anyone who may have been in the area of Hale Halawai Park and witnessed this incident, to contact Detective Sheldon Nakamoto at (808) 326-4646 ext. 228 or via email at sheldon.nakamoto@hawaiicounty.gov. They may also contact the police department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311.