A 39-year-old Waikoloa man has been arrested and charged with a slew of offenses, including terroristic threatening and criminal property damage, after Hawai‘i Island police responded to a domestic dispute in Kailua-Kona on Sunday evening, October 8, 2023.
At about 7:25 p.m. on Sunday, Kona patrol officers responded to a possible domestic dispute in the parking lot of a business in the 73-5000 block of Olowalu Street in Kailua-Kona. Responding officers contacted the 33-year-old female victim who stated her ex-boyfriend, later identified as 39-year-old Manuel Lopez-Ruiz, rammed her vehicle while she was parked.
Further investigation determined the victim agreed to meet the suspect in the public parking lot.
The victim arrived and parked her vehicle within a designated parking stall at approximately 7:15 p.m. Shortly thereafter, the suspect arrived with four children, ages three to 12, within the vehicle. He pulled into the stall directly in front of the victim and accelerated in a forward direction intentionally striking the victim’s front bumper.
In an attempt to get away, the victim reversed her vehicle, but was struck a second time, causing damage to the rear passenger side tire and fender of her vehicle.
She again attempted to drive away, but was struck a third time causing damage to the front driver’s side headlight area. The suspect then drove his vehicle in a circle around the parking lot accelerating towards the victim’s vehicle. The woman exited her vehicle just before it was struck for a fourth time, causing damage to the rear driver’s side bumper/brake light area.
Lopez-Ruiz left the scene in his vehicle and officers were able to locate him and his vehicle on Hina Lani Street where he was taken into custody. The four children were taken into protective custody and were transferred to the care of Child Welfare Services.
Lopez-Ruiz was transported to Kealakehe Police Station and remained in custody as detectives with Area II Juvenile Aid and Criminal Investigation sections continued the investigation.
After conferring with the County Prosecutor’s Office, Lopez-Ruiz was charged on Tuesday afternoon, October 10, with the following offenses and his bail was set at $8,050:
- First-degree criminal property damage
- First-degree terroristic threatening
- Second-degree reckless endangering
- Second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor
- Child passenger restraints
- No motor vehicle insurance policy
Lopez-Ruiz remains in police custody at the Kealakehe Police Station pending his arraignment at the Kona District Court on Wednesday, October 11.
