Big Island police have charged a 47-year-old man they had sought in connection with an attempted sexual assault in Kona on January 18. 

Jose Zepeda Anguiano was arrested Wednesday evening (April 9) at Keahole-Kona International Airport. He was charged at 1:20 p.m. Thursday (April 10) with attempted first-degree sexual assault. He is being held at the Kona police cellblock in lieu of $50,000 bail.

A week ago, police asked for the public’s help in identifying and locating a man who was then identified only as "Jose." Tips from the public led police to Zepeda Anguiano’s workplace but police were unable to make contact with him. They later received information that the man was about to flee the island. Police provided that information to officials at the Kona airport.

Security personnel at the airport detained Zepeda Anguiano at 9 p.m. Wednesday as he was about to depart on a flight to California. Patrol officers formally arrested him at 10:30 p.m.

The adult female victim reported that she had been driven to an undisclosed area along Mamalahoa Highway (Highway 11), where the attempted assault took place. After the attempted assault, the suspect was last seen driving a white 1991 Toyota Privia passenger van bearing license plate HRA209.

"We thank the public for its response to our request for help in this case," said Acting Detective Walter Ah Mow. "It is our partnership with the community that makes us most effective in serving the public."