11-02-15 Two charged in robbery of hitchhiker

Hawaiʻi Police Department
Criminal Investigations Section, Area II
Lieutenant Gerald Wike
Phone: 961-2252
Report No. C15031969

 

Media Release

Hawaiʻi Island police have charged two men in connection with the robbery of a hitchhiker last week in Kona.

In response to an 8:32 p.m. call last Wednesday (October 28), Kona Patrol officers met with a 23-year-old Kailua-Kona man who reported that he had been hitchhiking along Aliʻi Drive and had caught a ride in a white sports-utility vehicle. Once he was inside, a male passenger reportedly threatened to stab him in the neck unless he handed over the contents of his pockets. After the victim gave the suspect a cell phone, cigarettes, a lighter and cash, the occupants of the SUV ordered him out of the vehicle. The victim was able to provide the license plate number and a description of the vehicle.

On Thursday (October 29), as officers were searching for the SUV, they spotted it on Kuakini highway and stopped it. They initially arrested the driver, 43-year-old Robert Deleon of Kailua-Kona, on unrelated offenses for a domestic incident on July 18, 2014. He was charged with assault, harassment, interfering with a report of an emergency and four counts of violating court orders. His bail for those offenses was set at $32,000.

Later Thursday, police located Deleon’s son, 22-year-old Sloan Deleon of Kailua-Kona, along with 27-year-old Leilani Parent of Kailua-Kona, at a home in Keauhou Mauka. Sloan Deleon was initially arrested and charged with two counts of contempt of court and two counts of violating probation with bail set at $200,000.

Parent was arrested and charged with contempt of court and violating terms of probation. Her bail was set at $100,000.

Robert and Sloan Deleon were arrested on Thursday on suspicion of robbery for the incident with the hitchhiker. All three were held at the Kona police cellblock while detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Division continued the investigation.

On Friday (October 30), all three suspects appeared in court for the charged unrelated to the robbery. Robert and Sloan Deleon were then returned to the police cellblock while detectives continued investigating the robbery.

As part of the investigation, detectives executed a search warrant Friday on Robert Deleon’s SUV and recovered a crystalline substance suspected of being methamphetamine, a green leafy substance suspected of being marijuana and paraphernalia associated with the use and distribution of illegal drugs. Robert Deleon was then arrested on suspicion of meth trafficking, promoting a detrimental drug and possessing drug paraphernalia.

Later Friday, Robert and Sloan Deleon were each charged with first-degree robbery with bail on those offenses set at $50,000 each. Detectives continue to investigate the drug offenses.

Both Deleons remained at the cellblock until their initial court appearance on the robbery on Monday (November 2).


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