MEDIA RELEASE

Male suspect

Hawaiʻi Island police are asking for the public’s help in identifying two persons depicted in surveillance images in connection with an incident outside a department store in Hilo last week.

At 12:09 p.m. Friday (April 18), a female patron was observed concealing an item and then exiting a store in a shopping mall on Puainakō Street without paying.

After store employees confronted the woman and a male companion outside the store and attempted to escort them inside, the male threw one of the employees to the ground, causing injuries to his head and ribs. The pair then fled the area on foot in the direction of Makaʻala Street.

Male and female suspects

Police ask anyone with information about the identity or location of the persons in the surveillance images to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the islandwide Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300 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.