Hawaiʻi Police Department
Criminal Investigation Section – Area I
Lieutenant Rio S. Amon-Wilkins
Phone: (808) 961-2252
Report No.: 20-096244
Media Release
Hawaiʻi Island police detectives have arrested a suspect in connection with the Friday morning, December 18th shooting at the Puainako Town Center in Hilo that left a 41-year-old father of three young children dead.
The suspect is identified as 30-year-old Jarvis Rockwell Hung Leung Boots, of Mountain View.
On Friday morning, December 18, 2020, shortly after 4:00 a.m., South Hilo Patrol officers responded to the Puainako Town Center for a report of multiple gunshots and male victim seated in a vehicle. The victim was transported to Hilo Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
The victim has been identified as 41-year-old Benjamin Craig Davidson, of Hilo. Davidson was employed at the Puainako Town Center.
An autopsy performed Friday morning, December 18th, concluded that Davidson died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head and upper body. The manner of death was determined to be homicide.
Following the Friday morning incident, police followed up on various leads and conducted an island-wide manhunt for the suspect. On Saturday evening, December 19th, shortly before 5:30 p.m., detectives located the suspect vehicle at a residence on North Lauko Road in Mountain View. As police were organizing and surrounding the residence, the vehicle left the driveway. The vehicle was stopped a short distance away, and Boots, who was in the vehicle alone, was arrested. The vehicle was recovered as evidence and towed to the Hilo Police Station.
On Sunday morning, December 20th, detectives served a warrant on Boots’ vehicle and the North Lauko Road residence. Police recovered numerous firearms, ammunition, and other prohibited weapons.
During the course of this investigation, detectives were able to link Boots and his vehicle to the December 2nd shooting near the Pāpaʻikou Transfer Station that left a 24-year-old man in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds. An additional victim, a 50-year-old male, was also shot at, but not injured.
Boots is currently being held on second-degree murder for the Friday incident; and first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder for the December 2nd incident. Both cases remain under investigation.
Police ask anyone who may have information on the December 2nd incident in Pāpaʻikou, or the Friday morning incident at the Puainako Town Center, to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311 or Detective John Balberde at (808) 961-2386 or via email at john.balberde@hawaiicounty.gov.
