KAILUA-KONA — A 17-year-old boy faces 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to crimes committed during a 2016 rape at Old Kona Airport Park.
Tyron Sigrah appeared Monday before Kona Circuit Judge Robert D.S. Kim and pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual assault, second-degree assault, kidnapping and second-degree robbery.
In return for the guilty plea, the state will dismiss four remaining sexual assault and terroristic threatening charges.
According to the plea agreement, Sigrah can argue for youthful offender status, which allows an incarceration period of eight years instead of 20 years. On Monday, the teen’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Wendy DeWeese, said she intends to argue for such status.
Sentencing in Sigrah’s case is scheduled for Sept. 18.
Sigrah was one of two teens allegedly involved in an attack that occurred Sept. 3, 2016, at Old Kona Airport Park’s soccer field.
The second suspect was identified in January as Samuel Latrik after a grand jury indicted the 18-year-old on three counts of first-degree sexual assault, second-degree assault, kidnapping, second-degree robbery, third-degree sexual assault and first-degree attempted sexual assault. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and is awaiting trial.
Prosecutors alleged Sigrah, who was 15 at the time, and Latrik, who was 17 at the time, held the woman against her will, beat her and took turns raping her. The attack only stopped after a good Samaritan passing by chased the boys off.
The victim was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where she was treated for a broken nose, an exasperated back injury and badly bruised ribs.
Sigrah’s and Latrik’s cases originally were filed in juvenile court, but waivers requested by the prosecution to try both of them as adults were later granted.
Latrik is scheduled for an Oct. 23 jury trial.
Email Tiffany DeMasters at tdemasters@westhawaiitoday.com.