Media release by Hawaii County Police

Two Kona women are in police custody following their arrest for the robbery of a teenage girl.

On February 15 at 2:24 p.m., a 13-year-old Kailua-Kona girl reported that she had been waiting for a Hele-On bus at the intersection of Kealakaʻa Street and Kealakehe Street when two women approached her, attacked her and stole her backpack. The victim sustained a laceration to her lip and abrasions to her leg and arms.

Detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section continued the investigation, determined the identities of two suspects, and put out an all-points bulletin for the arrest of 18-year-old Judie Kahele of Kailua-Kona and 19-year-old Kayla Arellano of Kailua-Kona.

At 10 p.m. Tuesday (February 19), Kona patrol officers arrested both women and took them to the Kona police cellblock while detectives continued the investigation. Detectives later recovered the victim’s backpack.

At 9 a.m. Thursday (February 21), detectives charged both women with second-degree robbery, third-degree assault and fourth-degree theft. Their bail was set at $7,000 each. They remain at the cellblock pending their initial court appearance scheduled for Friday (February 22).