Hawai’i Island police detectives have charged three South Kona men with multiple offenses following a weapons incident that was reported on November 25, 2023.

On Monday, November 27, 2023, upon conferring with the Hawai’i County Prosecutor’s Office, Area II Criminal Investigation Section detectives charged 35-year old Axeen Adrian Chavez, 28-year old Daniel Jacobo Cortes and 41-year old Enrique Guardado Garcia each with three counts of Assault in the second degree, Terroristic Threatening in the first degree and two counts of Kidnapping.

The charges against the three men stem from an incident that occurred at a residence in South Kona on Saturday, November 25, 2023. Shortly after 11:40 p.m., Kona patrol officers responded to the Kona Community Hospital for a 27-year old male with a 8-centimeter stab wound to the abdomen. While investigating this incident officers learned that the stabbing victim along with a second male victim, a 23-year old male, were drinking at a friend’s residence in South Kona when an argument broke out between the two victims and the three suspects. The 27-year old victim reported that the suspects held him against his will, punched and kicked him several times, and stabbed him in the abdomen with a machete. The victim fled the scene, summoned a nearby resident for help and was transported to the Kona Community Hospital.

The 23-year old victim reported that he was also held against his will by the suspects, punched several times in the face, had the machete held up to his neck and was threatened that he was going to be killed.

The three suspects were later located and taken into police custody, and the machete allegedly used in the assault was recovered as evidence.

Bail for each of the suspects was set at $28,000. They were held at the Kealakehe Police Station pending their initial court appearance on Tuesday morning.

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact Acting Detective Joel Furuto via email at Joel.Furuto@hawaiicounty.gov or at 808-326-4646 ext.281.