(BIVN) – A Pāhoa man has been arrested and charged in connection with a reported armed carjacking that occurred in Puna on April 19.

According to police reports, 40 year-old Kevin Torres was picked up by the owner of Nissan Versa while hitchhiking along Highway 130. “Torres is alleged to have threatened and brandished, what appeared to be a black in color pistol, before taking control of said car and driving away,” officials say. “On May 14, 2024, Torres was arrested after being observed to be operating the same Nissan Versa on Kalapana-Kapoho Beach Road.”

From Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen:

Torres made his initial appearance in Hilo District Court on Thursday afternoon. His bail was maintained at $171,000.00 and he was ordered to appear for a preliminary hearing on May 20, 2024. As the Complaint alleges, Torres is charged with Robbery in the First Degree (in the course of committing theft and/or non-consensual taking of a motor vehicle, was armed with a dangerous instrument or a simulated firearm and threatened the imminent use of force against another person, with intent to compel acquiescence to the taking of or escaping with the property), Theft in the First Degree (theft of a motor vehicle, a Nissan Versa), Unauthorized Control of a Propelled Vehicle in the First Degree, and Driving Without a License. Robbery in the First Degree is a class A felony offense which carries a penalty of a twenty-year prison term. Theft in the First Degree is a class B felony offense which carries either a penalty of a ten-year prison term or four years probation and up to eighteen months in jail. The charges are merely allegations, and the Defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This is the second reported case this week in which a hitchhiker allegedly stole the vehicle that was giving them a ride in Puna. Both cases involved a Nissan Versa.

The first reported case involved two female hitchhikers, who were arrested and charged for theft and drug possession, after allegedly stealing the Nissan Versa that picked them up. In that case, the driver left the vehicle unattended with the hitchhikers in the parking lot of the Pāhoa 7-Eleven Store, police say.