A Hilo grand jury indicted a 34-year-old Hilo man with several charges for the alleged May 8 home invasion of a Puna house owned by a police officer.
The six-count indictment returned Oct. 9 charges Francis Kalei Laimana with first-degree burglary, first-degree terroristic threatening, third-degree assault, fourth-degree sexual assault and two counts of fourth-degree property damage.
According to court documents filed by police, one of the occupants of the Mountain View residence, an adult woman, saw a man later identified as Laimana park his vehicle in her front yard and forcibly enter her kitchen door by punching out a glass window.
The woman and her three children hid in the master bedroom, the documents state. In the meantime, the woman’s husband — plus then-off-duty police Detective Jesse Kerr, who owns the home, and another off-duty officer, Terence Scanlan — entered the house and detained Laimana.
The woman’s husband, Kerr’s brother, reportedly suffered a bite wound on his left bicep while attempting to detain Laimana.
According to the indictment, Laimana made a threat, but didn’t specify what was said, and exposed himself to several individuals in the home, including a minor. He also allegedly ripped a poster on a bedroom wall.
Laimana already faced four of the six charges in a Hilo District Court case, which was nullified by the indictment. The terroristic threatening and misdemeanor sexual assault charge were added with the indictment.
Three mental health professionals examined Laimana, and he was found fit to proceed by Judge Kanani Laubach. His case moves to Hilo Circuit Court, where he’ll face arraignment and plea on the charges.
A bench warrant was issued with the indictment, setting Laimana’s bail at $42,000. He remains in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center.
The most severe charge, first-degree burglary, is a Class A felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison upon conviction. First-degree terroristic threatening is a Class C felony punishable by up to five years incarceration.
Court records indicate Laimana has one prior felony conviction, for second-degree burglary, a Class C felony, in 2008. He was sentenced to five years probation and a year in jail with all but 14 days suspended.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
