Hawaiʻi Police Department
Criminal Investigations Section, Area II
Lieutenant Gerald Wike
Phone: 3326-4646, Ext. 266
Report No. C1203360
Media Release
A Kona man has been charged with 11 offenses as the result of a robbery investigation.
On December 16, police responded to a 7:30 p.m. report of a robbery. Responding officers determined that the victim, a 36-year-old Ocean View man, was confronted by the suspect as the victim was coming out of a garage access area at Kona Plaza in downtown Kailua-Kona. The suspect grabbed cash from the victim’s hand and ran away.
The victim chased the suspect to the parking lot of Coconut Grove Marketplace, where the suspect began striking the victim repeatedly with a metal chain, causing minor injuries. The victim was able to gain possession of the chain and the suspect fled the area.
Investigation by detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section determined the identity of the suspect, 31-year-old Jacob DeMasters of Kailua-Kona, who was located and arrested Tuesday (January 15).
Wednesday (January 16), DeMasters was charged with robbery, assault and theft. He was also charged with three counts of promoting a dangerous drug, two counts of promoting a harmful drug, one count of promoting a detrimental drug and two counts of possessing drug paraphernalia for items that were in the car he was in at the time of his arrest.
DeMasters was held at the Kona police cellblock in lieu of $18,750 bail until his initial court appearance Thursday (January 17).