MEDIA RELEASE

Big Island police have charged a Washington state man in connection with an incident reported as road rage.

At 11:30 a.m. Wednesday (Nov. 3), detectives charged 41-year-old Christopher James Roberg of Spokane, Wash. with first-degree robbery, kidnapping, third-degree assault, unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle and two counts of terroristic threatening.

Christopher Roberg

Roberg is being held at the Kona police cellblock in lieu of $132,000 bail.

A 21-year-old Kealakekua woman reported that while she was driving on Alii Drive near White Sands Beach Park around 10:40 p.m. Monday (Nov. 1), a car pulled in front of her pickup truck and stopped. The male driver got out of the car, went to the victim’s truck and tried to remove her key from the ignition. He then grabbed her hair and removed personal items from the cab of the truck.

The man returned to his car, put the stolen items inside, went back to the victim and threatened her with a knife. He then grabbed a baseball bat from the bed of the victim’s truck and threatened her with that.

The man fled when another vehicle approached the scene.

Police located the suspect at 12:05 a.m. Tuesday (Nov. 2) at the intersection of Palani Road and Kuakini Highway. Roberg was arrested and taken to the Kona police cellblock while detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section continued the investigation.

The victim refused treatment from Fire Department personnel.

Police ask that any possible witnesses call Detective Sean Smith at 326-4646, Ext. 275, or the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 or 329-8181.