Pair in custody after Kona business robbed, officer shot at

Police have arrested two people in connection with an incident involving an armed robbery, a traffic collision and a man allegedly shooting at an officer in Kona Thursday evening.

Police arrested 27-year-old Dyllan Paulo-Leslie of Kailua-Kona, on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and reckless endangering.

Thirty-four-year-old Brittany Johnson of Holualoa, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree robbery in the same incident.

At 8 p.m. on Thursday, Kona patrol officers responded to a report of an active armed robbery at a business in the 73-5000 block of Kauhola Street in the Kaloko Light Industrial Park in Kailua-Kona. The suspect, described as a man wearing dark clothing and a face covering, entered the establishment and brandished the firearm, police said.

He allegedly stole an undisclosed amount of money from the service counter as patrons and employees fled the business.

The man then fled the scene in a gray lifted pick-up truck with a woman passenger. A responding patrol unit saw a vehicle matching the description leaving the area and turned around to pursue it.

Police say that before they caught up with the truck, it was involved in a traffic collision with another vehicle at the intersection of Route 190 and Hina Lani Street, rendering both vehicles inoperable.

An arriving officer officer was approaching the vehicles to check on the occupants when he was shot at by the male suspect, police said. The bullet narrowly missed the officer and struck the rear driver’s side tire of the patrol vehicle. As the officer radioed for assistance, the suspect and his woman passenger fled on foot.

The officer, who was uninjured, didn’t fire his service pistol during the incident.

Responding patrol units found the pair a short time later and took them into custody without further incident.

The driver of the other vehicle, a 51-year-old Kailua-Kona woman, didn’t require medical assistance.

Kona police detectives continue to investigate this incident.

Potential witnesses are asked to call the police non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311 or Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.