Police seek suspect in attempted carjacking

Police are seeking a 23-year-old Hilo man they describe as “armed and dangerous” in connection with an attempted carjacking Monday afternoon on Hawaii Belt Road (Highway 19) near Pepeekeo.

Tyler Leopoldino is described as 5-feet-6, 140 pounds with short buzz-cut hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a baseball cap, with a light-colored shirt and shorts. He has tattoos on both arms with the words “True Love” tattooed across the fingers of both hands. He may be slimmer than he appears in the mugshot accompanying this story.

Police say at 3:20 p.m. Monday, they received a call of a traffic accident near the Old Onomea Road intersection involving a sedan and a Toyota truck. As officers responded to the scene, witnesses reported that the driver of the truck brandished a black handgun and pointed it at several bystanders who stopped to render aid. He allegedly pointed the pistol at the driver and occupants of one of the vehicles that stopped in an attempted carjacking, but was unsuccessful.

Police say Leopoldino then went to a nearby unattended Subaru station wagon belonging to good Samaritan and stole it.

Police determined that Toyota truck was previously stolen from a Banyan Drive business in Hilo on July 7.

The public is advised not to approach Leopoldino, but to instead call the police non-emergency line at 935-3311 or Crime Stoppers at 961-8300.