Hawaiʻi Police Department
Juvenile Aid Section, Area I
Lieutenant Lucille Melemai
Phone: 961-2254
Report No. C15015922
Media Release
A Puna man faces one felony and three misdemeanors after being arrested in a sexual assault investigation.
At about 4:10 a.m., Sunday (May 31), police responded to a location in Pāhoa after receiving a report of an assault on a female minor.
Officers arrested 42-year-old Wendell Reed Santiago of Pāhoa. He was taken to the Hilo police cellblock while detectives from the Area I Juvenile Aid Section continued the investigation.
Monday evening (June 1), detectives charged him with first-degree sexual assault, a class A felony, two misdemeanor charges of promoting intoxicating liquor to a person under the age of 21 and one misdemeanor charge of abuse of a family household member. His bail was set at $54,000. He remained at the cellblock pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Wednesday (June 3).
Police ask anyone with information on this case to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311 or contact Detective Vernon Ferreira at 961-2279 or Vernon.Ferreira@hawaiicounty.gov.
Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers 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.