A Big Island grand jury last week handed down a 27-count indictment charging a Honokaa man with a host of offenses, including sexual assault, kidnapping and felony abuse.
Adam Kahekili Kepoo, 27, was indicted Monday on charges of kidnapping, unauthorized possession of confidential personal information, eight counts of abuse of family or household member, five counts of felony abuse of family or household member, fourth-degree theft, three counts of second-degree assault, second-degree terroristic threatening, three counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, second-degree unlawful imprisonment, attempted felony abuse of family or household member and two counts of first-degree sexual assault, according to court records.
The alleged offenses reportedly took place between Feb. 1 and April 23 across the South Kohala and Hamakua districts.
During that time period, according to the indictment, Kepoo allegedly stole the woman’s passport and phone, restrained her with intent to inflict bodily harm, struck her in the face multiple times in multiple locations, threw rocks at her, tackled her to the ground, twice held a knife to her throat and choked her.
The indictment also alleges, Kepoo extinguished a lit cigarette on the woman’s arm, dragged her into the woods, bit her, struck her while she was sleeping, pinned her neck to the bed with his knee, heated a knife over a grill and asked her where she wanted her new brand, cut her chest with a knife, headbutted her and twice sexually assaulted her.
Kepoo was arrested April 23 by Hawaii Police Department officers conducting patrols at Kawaihae Boat Harbor. There, officers contacted two occupants of a vehicle parked near the exit gate. Upon contacting the woman driving the vehicle, she reported being involved in a domestic incident with the man riding in her vehicle, identified as Kepoo.
Kepoo was taken into custody and transported to the Kealakehe Police Station for further investigation that determined multiple domestic incidents involving the victim and Kepoo occurred in the Hamakua and South Kohala districts during a period of approximately two months.
At that time, police charged Kepoo with 26 offenses and bail was set at $22,250. Kepoo appeared in District Court after his arrest in April, at which point a mental fitness evaluation was ordered. He remained in custody Friday at Hawaii Community Correctional Center.
Kepoo has an October 2020 conviction of abuse of family or household member stemming from a January 2019 incident with another individual and was given two years probation. That probation was revoked in January and a bench warrant was issued. In February, he was again placed on probation. He also has multiple contempt of court charges stemming from nonappearance on scheduled court dates.
The bench warrant with the indictment set Kepoo’s bail at $300,500.
Kepoo appeared Monday in Hilo Circuit Court, where Judge Peter Kubota maintained Kepoo’s bail and ordered him to appear Thursday in Kona Circuit Court for arraignment and plea.
Email Laura Ruminski at lruminski@westhawaiitoday.com.
