Man accused of beating elderly woman outside Hilo bar appears in court

A 37-year-old man accused of the brutal beating on April 10 of a 75-year-old woman outside a Waiakea Villas bar in Hilo appeared in court today after being arrested Tuesday night at a Waikiki hotel and returned to Hilo.

Hilo District Judge Kanani Laubach ordered Zachary Babosh of Volcano, who was arrested by Honolulu police and the U.S. Marshals Service at the Aloha Aqua Surf Hotel, to return at 2 p.m. Monday for a preliminary hearing. Laubach denied Deputy Public Defender Megan Fellows’ request to free Babosh — who has prior convictions for terroristic threatening and violation of a temporary restraining order and is on felony probation — on court-supervised release without cash bail.

Terms of Babosh’s probation, according to court documents filed by police is that he “shall not possess, use, or consume any intoxicants, or be in bars or other places where alcohol is the primary item of sale or consumption.”

Documents state Babosh is currently wanted on an out-of-state felony warrant, but doesn’t specify the state or the alleged offense or offenses.

Babosh is in custody on $100,010 bail charged with both first- and second-degree assault for the alleged attack on Paulette Stabile, who was hospitalized after the attack.

According to court documents, Stabile suffered multiple facial fractures, three missing front teeth, heavy bruising and swelling to both eyes, the bridge of the nose, mouth and left side of her face. She also sustained two-inch lacerations under her left eye and above her upper lip.

An emergency room physician at Hilo Medical Center, documents state, filled out a form obtained by police, which stated Stabile suffered a serious concussion in addition to the previously described injuries.

A Facebook post by Daysha Ludwig, identified as Stabile’s niece, said Stabile “is recovering slowly but will never remain the same again.”

The Tribune-Herald reached out to Ludwig, who didn’t reply in time for this story.

Documents state that on April 12, Stabile told police she recalls that between 2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. she helped Hale Inu bartender Amy Arruda — identified in the documents as Babosh’s girlfriend — clean up some bottles and cans. Stabile reportedly told police she was walking to her car after finishing, felt someone grab the right side of her neck and shoulder and pull her back. She turned around and saw it was Babosh, but couldn’t remember anything after that.

Another bar patron, according to documents, told police she heard Arruda yell, “Stop, Zach! What the f—-!” The patron told police she got up, ran outside the bar and saw Stabile lying on the ground, unconscious, with Arruda standing over her. The woman said she didn’t see Babosh but heard a vehicle “peel out” of the parking lot.

The patron said she tried to get Arruda to call 911, but Arruda didn’t do so.

Another witness, a man, essentially gave similar testimony. He reportedly told police he received a call from Babosh on April 15 asking that he change his story. Babosh also allegedly asked the man if he could obtain a jet or boat.

Arruda told police, according to documents, she tried to prevent the altercation between Stabile and Babosh. Arruda reportedly told officers Stabile was arguing with Babosh, who tried to walk away, that Stabile hit Babosh first, then Babosh hit Stabile, who fell to the ground. Arruda said she tried to stop Babosh from hitting Stabile but was herself thrown to the ground.

Arruda told police, documents state, she didn’t call 911 or the police “as she does not call the cops due to unfavorable past contact with them.” Arruda, instead, called another woman, described in documents as “a friend and patron of the bar,” asking her to come to the bar with her first-aid kit, and telling her Babosh had hit Stabile. That woman, in turn, called 911 and the bar owner, Geraldine Bibilone.

Police reported arrived at the scene at 2:55 a.m. to find Fire Department medics treating Stabile prior to taking her to the hospital.

Documents state an Instagram post by “zachbabosh” stated “she was the aggressor and she came after me I tryed (sic) to walk away” and also said the “she” — who was not identified by name, “followed me out and (put) her hands on me.”

Hale Inu’s surveillance video system wasn’t working, according to documents, but police obtained video from a nearby business that showed a “male party, believed to be Babosh” grabbing a “female party, believed to be Stabile” by the neck, slam her to the ground, then repeatedly strike her. The video also showed “another female, believed to be Arruda,” trying to stop the assailant, but getting forcefully shoved to the ground twice.

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.