A Kona grand jury on Monday indicted a 44-year-old Ocean View man for allegedly shooting another man in the face with a shotgun last month.
The four-count indictment charges Dorson Buddy Behrendt with attempted second-degree murder, attempted first-degree robbery and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a separate felony for the violent incident on the evening of Sunday, Oct. 15.
The victim, whose identity was not previously released by police, is James Felder, who’s believed to be a 53-year-old Ocean View man.
A bench warrant issued with the indictment set Behrendt’s bail at $500,000.
Behrendt is free on his own recognizance — a form of cashless bail — after Kona District Judge Kimberly Taniyama on Nov. 2 granted a defense request to release Behrendt, who had previously been held on $350,000 bail.
Taniyama noted during the hearing that no probable cause affidavit was provided by prosecutors in District Court to justify the continued pretrial confinement of Behrendt, which is standard procedure at initial appearances where the suspect is in police custody.
According to police, the injuries to Felder — who was found lying on the ground near a gold Toyota van on Aloha Boulevard and Paradise Parkway in Ocean View — were so severe he couldn’t tell officers how he’d been injured.
Felder was taken by ambulance to Kona Community Hospital with life-threatening injuries. It was determined there he had sustained a gunshot wound to his face, and he was subsequently transferred to The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu.
Grand jury proceedings aren’t public, so it’s unknown if Felder was able to testify before the panel.
According to the indictment, Behrendt shot Felder with the intent to steal Felder’s vehicle and demanded that Felder turn over his wallet.
Taniyama ordered Behrendt to return to District Court on Nov. 29 for a preliminary hearing to determine probable cause.
The indictment, however, is considered probable cause to try Behrendt for the charges.
The bench warrant authorizes the rearrest of Behrendt, who’ll then be arraigned to plead regarding the charges before Kona Circuit Judge Wendy DeWeese.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.