MEDIA RELEASE

Hawaiʻi Island police are investigating a reported robbery early Tuesday morning (March 8) in Puna.

At 1:44 a.m., police responded to Captain’s Drive in Fern Forest after a 55-year-old man with no permanent address reported that as he stopped to assist a stranded motorist, he was robbed of his sports-utility vehicle at gunpoint. The victim was not injured in this incident, which is classified as a first-degree robbery.

The vehicle is described as a white 1996 GMC Jimmy, license plate GPE 575.

Police ask anyone with information on the vehicle’s whereabouts or who may have witnessed the robbery to contact either Detective Royce Serrao at 961-8222 or royce.serrao@hawaiicounty.gov, or Officer Donovan Kohara at 961-2272 or donovan.kohara@hawaiicounty.gov

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. Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.