KONA, Hawaiʻi – A Puna man is facing a litany of serious charges, including armed robbery and multiple firearms offenses, following an incident that occurred last Friday afternoon in Kailua-Kona. Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen announced that 47-year-old Walter Gomes was arrested and formally charged in connection with the armed robbery of a Toyota Corolla, the owner of which has been identified as an 84-year-old individual.
According to police reports, on the afternoon of May 24, 2025, Gomes allegedly brandished a firearm at the 84-year-old owner of a Toyota Corolla fronting a residence on Ala Onaona Street before taking the vehicle. He was apprehended the following day after the stolen Corolla was spotted within the Parker Ranch Center parking lot.
Gomes made his initial appearance in Kona District Court this Tuesday morning, May 27, 2025. His bail was maintained at $293,000.00, and he has been ordered to appear for a preliminary hearing on May 28, 2025.
The charges against Gomes are extensive, as detailed in the Complaint. They include:
- Robbery in the First Degree
- Theft in the First Degree (theft of a motor vehicle)
- Unauthorized Control of a Propelled Vehicle in the First Degree
- Carrying or Use of Firearm in the Commission of a Separate Felony
- Carrying or Possessing a Loaded Firearm on a Public Highway
- Place to Keep Loaded Firearms Other Than Pistols and Revolvers
- Ownership, Possession, or Control of Firearm or Ammunition Prohibited
- Ownership Prohibited (shotgun with a barrel length less than eighteen inches)
- Two counts of Ownership Prohibited (active temporary restraining order)
- Place to Keep Ammunition
- Terroristic Threatening in the First Degree
- Assault Against a Law Enforcement Officer in the Second Degree
- Criminal Property Damage in the Fourth Degree
The most severe offenses, Robbery in the First Degree and Carrying or Use of Firearm in the Commission of a Separate Felony, are both Class A felony offenses in Hawaiʻi, each carrying a potential penalty of a twenty-year prison term. Prosecutors have indicated that if convicted as charged, Gomes may be subject to a mandatory prison term and would not be eligible for probation.
The investigation was initiated by Kona Patrol, with the felony investigation led by Detective Jeremiah Hull of the Hawai‘i Police Department’s Area II Criminal Investigation Section. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Annaliese Wolf is prosecuting the case.
It is important to remember that these charges are merely allegations, and Walter Gomes is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.