MEDIA RELEASE

Hawaiʻi Island police are asking for the public’s help in locating a 2-year-old Lanaʻi boy and the woman last seen with him. Kingszon Sanchez is described as Hispanic, 2-foot-6, 35 pounds with long brown hair, and brown eyes.

On March 5, the child’s 22-year-old mother, who is his legal custodian, gave the boy’s paternal grandmother, 53-year-old Katherine Ruth Hunter, permission to fly him from Lanaʻi to the island of Hawaiʻi to visit her for five days. Hunter has since refused to return the child to his mother on Lanaʻi. Hunter is described as Caucasian, 5-foot-8, 170 pounds with long white hair and green eyes. She is last known to have lived in Pāhoa. She is wanted for questioning in a custodial interference investigation.

Hunter’s son, 25-year-old Noah Sanchez of Keaʻau, is the boy’s biological father. He is described as Hispanic, 5-foot-9, 160 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He also has an unrelated outstanding warrant for his arrest.

On March 30, the child’s mother arrived on the island of Hawaiʻi. She saw the boy, Hunter and Noah Sanchez at a Pāhoa restaurant but they drove away in a blue sedan before she contacted police.

Police ask that anyone with information on their whereabouts call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

UPDATED (4/24/2013 at 8:56 AM)

Hawaiʻi Island police have located a missing 2-year-old Lanaʻi boy, who was in the company of his non-custodial father and grandmother in Puna.

Detectives from the Area I Juvenile Aid Section found all three Tuesday afternoon at a home on Pomaikai Street in the Leilani Estates subdivision.

Katherine Ruth Hunter, 53, of Pāhoa was arrested on suspicion of custodial interference. Her son, 25-year-old Noah Sanchez of Pāhoa was arrested on a bench warrant for violating release on bail in an unrelated case. Both were taken to the Hilo police cellblock, where police later arrested Sanchez on suspicion of custodial interference.

The child, who was unharmed, was reunited with his mother at the Hilo station Tuesday evening.

Noah Sanchez and Katherine Hunter remain at the cellblock while detectives continue the investigation.

UPDATED (4/24/2013 at 11:13 PM)

Katherine Ruth Hunter

Hawaiʻi Island police have filed charges against the non-custodial father and grandmother of a 2-year-old Lanaʻi boy who was with them on Hawaiʻi Island.

At 11 a.m. Wednesday (April 24), detectives from the Area I Juvenile Aid Section charged 53-year-old Katherine Ruth Hunter of Pāhoa and 25-year-old Noah Sanchez of Pāhoa with custodial interference.

Hunter’s bail was set at $2,000. Sanchez’s bail was set at $10,000. Unless they are able to post bail, their initial court appearance will be on Thursday and they will be held at the Hilo police cellblock until then.

Noah Sanchez

On March 5, the child’s 22-year-old mother, who is his legal custodian, gave Hunter permission to fly him from Lanaʻi to the island of Hawaiʻi to visit her for five days. Hunter then failed to return the child to his mother on Lanaʻi.

The child was found unharmed with Sanchez and Hunter in the Leilani Estates subdivision Tuesday afternoon (April 23). Sanchez and Hunter were arrested. The boy was reunited with his mother at the Hilo police station Tuesday evening.