Two females, both teenagers, separately identified the same man as the knife-wielding suspect in an alleged double sex assault last week in Hilo.
Two females, both teenagers, separately identified the same man as the knife-wielding suspect in an alleged double sex assault last week in Hilo.
According to court documents filed by police, a 19-year-old adult woman and her friend, a 17-year-old juvenile, both picked 36-year-old Oran Charles Kita from separate photographic lineups.
The alleged victims, both local residents, told police they were hiking near Piihonua Bridge above Hilo town on the afternoon of Dec. 22 when a local man approached them and told them there was a waterfall in the area, according to documents.
Both also allegedly told police the man led them to a remote area, where he brandished a knife, told them to take off their clothes, tied their hands behind their backs and sexually assaulted them.
Kita, who is also facing separate felony marijuana growing charges, made his initial appearance Monday in Hilo District Court on the current charges, which include 15 counts of first-degree sex assault, seven counts of third-degree sex assault, two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, two counts of kidnapping and one count of marijuana possession.
Judge Harry Freitas ordered Kita, who is in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center to appear this afternoon at 2 p.m. for a preliminary hearing and maintained bail at $891,000.
A complete story will appear Tuesday in the print edition of the Tribune-Herald and on the Tribune-Herald website.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.