HILO, Hawaiʻi – Hawaiʻi Island police detectives have arrested and charged two Mountain View men in connection with two distinct robbery incidents that occurred at businesses in downtown Hilo. The arrests highlight ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address property crimes in the area.
On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at approximately 3:19 p.m., Hilo patrol officers responded to a report of an active robbery at a business located in the 200 block of Kamehameha Avenue. Upon their arrival, officers made contact with the 77-year-old male store owner. He reported observing a male suspect remove a pair of sunglasses and attempt to exit the store without paying. When the store owner tried to secure the front door to prevent the theft, the suspect allegedly shoved the victim away from the door and into a wall, causing pain and bruising. The suspect then fled the scene on foot with the sunglasses before police arrived.
The alert store owner had taken a photograph of the male suspect a few days earlier, having suspected the same individual of previously stealing merchandise from his establishment. One of the responding officers recognized the man in the photograph as Sultan Jerome, 25, of Mountain View, which led to his positive identification as the suspect in this robbery. Officers subsequently issued an island-wide All-Points-Bulletin (APB) for Jerome’s arrest for second-degree robbery. In Hawaiʻi, second-degree robbery is a Class B felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $25,000. It typically involves using force or threatening force during a theft to overcome resistance or compel compliance, or recklessly inflicting serious bodily injury.
Less than 12 hours later, on Wednesday, May 28, at 1:00 a.m., Hilo patrol officers conducted a traffic stop on a white Ford Explorer due to a traffic infraction at the intersection of Mauna Loa and Hualālai Streets in Hilo. Sultan Jerome was identified as the front passenger in the vehicle and was arrested based on his outstanding APB for second-degree robbery. Before exiting the vehicle, officers observed Jerome placing the sunglasses he was wearing on his head on top of a bag on the vehicle’s floor. The sunglasses matched the description of the stolen items. The Ford Explorer was subsequently recovered as evidence and towed to the Hilo Police Station pending the issuance of a search warrant.
Driver Also Charged in Unrelated Robbery
The driver of the Ford Explorer, Robert Franklin, 22, also of Mountain View, was also arrested. His arrest was due to an outstanding warrant for a separate second-degree robbery incident that occurred on March 29, 2025. Police had previously issued a media release seeking the suspect in that earlier robbery investigation.
In the March incident, Franklin was positively identified as the suspect who allegedly stole alcoholic beverages from a gas station on Kamehameha Avenue, also in downtown Hilo. He is accused of assaulting the gas station employee who confronted him outside the store about the stolen items. As part of the ongoing investigation into that case, detectives with the Area I Criminal Investigation Section (CIS) had issued an arrest warrant for Franklin for second-degree robbery.
Formal Charges and Court Proceedings
On May 28, Area I CIS detectives executed a search warrant on the Ford Explorer and recovered the sunglasses, which were confirmed to be stolen in the May 27 robbery in downtown Hilo. After conferring with the Hawaiʻi County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, formal charges were filed against both individuals.
- Sultan Jerome was charged with second-degree robbery in connection with the May 27 incident. His bail was set at $10,000.
- Robert Franklin was charged with second-degree robbery in connection with the March 29 incident. His bail was set at $5,000.
Both men remained in police custody following their arrests and charges. According to public records, Sultan Jerome also had a prior arrest in February 2025 related to drug offenses.
Police continue to investigate these incidents. Lieutenant Derek Morimoto of the Area I Criminal Investigation Division is overseeing the investigation. The Hawaiʻi Police Department reminds the public that charges are merely allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.