A 58-year-old Hilo man accused of sexually assaulting and strangling his ex-girlfriend allegedly held a knife to her throat during the attack, according to court documents filed by police.
David Scott Paulino is charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault, plus first-degree terroristic threatening, domestic abuse, domestic abuse aggravated by strangulation, and interfering with the report of an emergency or crime.
The victim told police last Monday that on Sunday morning, Paulino used a key he’d been given during the relationship to enter the woman’s home and refused to leave after being told to do so multiple times.
Paulino then held a kitchen knife with a red handle and an 8-inch blade to her throat and told her he would kill her and then himself, according to the documents.
Paulino grabbed her by the hair, threw her to the floor, and attempted to choke her with a rubber cord, documents state. When the woman was able to get her hands between the neck and the cord, Paulino squeezed both sides of her neck to restrict her breathing, the woman alleges.
According to documents, the woman then attempted to call 911, but Paulino shoved the phone in her mouth and then took it away. He then sexually assaulted her multiple times while she yelled for him to stop.
The woman escaped by telling Paulino she needed to use the bathroom. When she returned home later, he had left.
Police say Paulino returned late Monday morning and refused to leave. The woman called police, who arrested Paulino.
Paulino has 11 felony convictions, according to police.
A statement by county Prosecutor Kelden Waltjen said the state is seeking an extended term of imprisonment for Paulino, describing him as a persistent and/or multiple offender.
The most serious charge, first-degree sexual assault, is normally a Class A felony carrying a maximum prison term of 20 years upon conviction.
But if Paulino is convicted and an extended term is granted, he faces the possibility of a life sentence with the possibility of parole.
During Paulino’s initial court appearance Thursday, Hilo District Judge Kanani Laubach denied a defense motion to free Paulino on court-supervised release or to reduce his bail to $50,000, and ordered him to return to court today for a preliminary hearing.
Paulino remains in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center in lieu of $123,000 bail.
The Tribune-Herald doesn’t identify victims of sexual assault unless they decide to go public.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
