KAILUA-KONA — An Alaska woman pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in a case where she was accused of mowing down her boyfriend with a vehicle in December at Old Kona Airport Park.
Crystal Young, 31, pleaded guilty on July 10 to attempted manslaughter. According to a plea agreement, the Hawaii County prosecutor’s office dismissed the original charges of second-degree murder and accident involving serious injury for the lesser charge.
According to the plea agreement, the victim could face a maximum of 20 years in prison or two years in jail with 10 years probation.
The original charges stem from the 31-year-old running over her then boyfriend with a vehicle on Dec. 15. Young admitted in the plea agreement that she knew striking the victim with the vehicle was a “substantial step in causing his death.”
At the time she struck her former boyfriend, Young said she was “under extreme mental or emotional disturbance.”
According to the plea agreement, Young admitted to intentionally driving a 2017 Buick Regal at her then boyfriend and intentionally hitting him with the car, causing a head injury.
Young states that December’s incident stemmed from an alleged domestic attack between her and the victim on Sept. 22, 2017, in Alaska.
“On that day I was assaulted … at a time when he was drinking, repeatedly struck me with his fist resulting in my eye almost swelling shut …” states Young in the plea agreement.
On the day Young hit her former boyfriend with a car, they were arguing and he reportedly had been drinking alcohol.
The 36-year-old man was taken to Kona Community Hospital for treatment. He was later flown to The Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu in critical condition. At the time of the incident, Maj. Robert Wagner with the Hawaii Police Department said the victim was doing better but “might have long-term damage/injury.”
On Thursday, Wagner said the man has since been discharged and returned home.
Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 19.
Email Tiffany DeMasters at tdemasters@westhawaiitoday.com.
