MEDIA RELEASE

Clifford P. Marler

A Hilo man has been charged with nine offenses after he allegedly banged into another man twice with a sports-utility vehicle.

At 7:17 p.m. on February 2, police responded to Hilo Medical Center, where it was reported that a 49-year-old Hilo man had been in a discussion with the suspect in the parking lot of a commercial and residential complex on Hualani Street in Hilo just before 7 p.m. when the suspect reportedly ran into the victim two times with an SUV that didn’t belong to him and then fled the scene.

The victim sustained serious and substantial bodily injury and had to be transferred to The Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu, where he remained until February 25.

Police investigation led to the identity of the suspect as 52-year-old Clifford P. Marler, who has no permanent address but frequents the Hilo area.

Police located Marler on Tuesday night (February 25) and arrested and charged him on two bench warrants for contempt of court. His bail for the contempt charges was set at $1,750.

During his arrest, he was found to be in possession of a syringe loaded with a substance believed to be heroin. He was held at the Hilo police cellblock while detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section continued the investigation into the incident with the SUV and drug offenses.

At 3:30 p.m. Wednesday (February 26), Marler was charged with unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, first-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangering, leaving the scene of an accident involving substantial bodily injury, failure to render aid, promoting a dangerous drug and possessing drug paraphernalia. His bail for those offenses was set at $76,000.

He is being held at Hawaiʻi Community Correctional Center pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Thursday (February 27).