Chito Asuncion, courtesy Hawaii County Police

A routine traffic stop in Kona has led to the arrests of three persons in two separate cars.

At 9:40 p.m. Saturday (May 4), a Kona patrol officer made a traffic stop on a car occupied by two women. During the stop, the officer observed drug paraphernalia in the car and later recovered a glass smoking pipe and two small plastic bags containing residue of a white powdery substance. Police arrested the driver, 47-year-old Grace Duguran of Kailua-Kona, and her passenger, 37-year-old Danette Corrales of Pāhala, on suspicion of promoting a dangerous drug and possessing drug paraphernalia.

While officers were waiting with the women for a blue-and-white police vehicle to arrive, a Kia sedan passed them twice and yelled at one of the women. An officer recognized the Kia’s driver as 37-year-old Chito Reno Asuncion of Pāhala, who was wanted on three bench warrants. As an officer attempted to make a traffic stop on the Kia, it sped toward two other officers who were standing on the road signaling for him to stop. The officers had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit but were not injured.

Other officers stopped the Kia and arrested Asuncion on the warrants for two counts of contempt of court and one count of failure to appear. His bail on those charges was set at $20,300. He was also arrested on suspicion of reckless endangering. He was taken to the Kona police cellblock while detectives from the Criminal Investigations Section continued the investigation.

On Sunday (May 5), police obtained a search warrant for the Kia and recovered a glass smoking pipe and a small plastic bag with residue of a white powdery substance, as well as brass knuckles.

Also Sunday, the two women from the initial traffic stop were released pending further investigation.

On Monday, Asuncion went to court on the bench warrants and then was returned to the Kona cellblock. At 6 p.m. Monday, detectives charged him with two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, two counts of second-degree reckless endangering, carrying a deadly weapon, resisting an order to stop, driving with an expired license, promoting a dangerous drug and possessing drug paraphernalia. His bail on those offenses was set at $12,000. His initial court appearance on those charges is scheduled for Tuesday (May 7).