Police Arrest And Charge Hilo Man With Traffic And Firearms Offenses

Hawai’i Island police have charged 23-year-old Kiane Asuncion-Wilson, of Hilo, with numerous traffic and firearms offenses stemming from a traffic-stop that occurred early Wednesday morning, November 20, 2024, in the Hilo District. 

On Thursday, November 21, 2024, Area I Criminal Investigation Section detectives charged Asuncion-Wilson with the following offenses, after conferral with Hawai’i County Prosecutors Office:

•        operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant

•        driving without a valid driver’s license

•        place to keep pistols or revolvers

•        place to keep ammunition

•        possession of prohibited weapons

Total bail for Asuncion-Wilson was set at $73,000.00

Asuncion-Wilson was unable to post bail and made his initial court appearance on Friday, November 22, 2024, in South Hilo District Court.

The charges against Asuncion-Wilson stem from a traffic stop conducted on the pickup truck he was observed operating. Witnesses observed the vehicle being operated recklessly on Daniel K. Inouye Highway. The witness reported that while traveling Hilo bound on Daniel K. Inouye Highway in the area of Pohakuloa Training Area, a lifted gray Toyota Tacoma overtook a vehicle and continued to travel at a high rate of speed, swerving into the on-coming lane.

Officers conducting checks for the vehicle, observed it to initiate a right turn onto Komohana Street from Puainako Street and stopped in the middle of the crosswalk for approximately twenty seconds. A traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle where Asuncion-Wilson was contacted as the driver and sole occupant.

Upon contact, Asuncion-Wilson displayed signs of being under the influence of an intoxicant. Upon participation in Standardized Field Sobriety Test, which indicated signs of impairment, Asuncion-Wilson was arrested for driving under the influence of an intoxicant. During the traffic investigation, officers observed in plain view from the exterior of the vehicle what appeared to be a pistol on the driver’s floorboard.

Asuncion-Wilson was also arrested for a firearms offense and was transported to the East Hawai’i Detention Facility for booking, processing, and continued investigation by detectives. The vehicle was recovered and towed to the Area I Criminal Investigation Section secured vehicle evidence cage pending the execution of a search warrant.

On November 20, 2024, detectives executed a search warrant on the suspect vehicle resulting in the recovery of the following items:

• a functional Smith & Wesson 9mm caliber semi-automatic pistol containing an unloaded 16-round capacity magazine inserted into the magazine well.
• a separate 16-round capacity magazines loaded with 7-live 9mm caliber rounds. 
• a box of 9mm caliber rounds containing 25-live rounds. 
• two spent 9mm caliber casings. 

A National Crime Information Center check on the firearm revealed that the Tacoma Police Department in Washington reported it as being stolen in 2013.

Anyone who may have information regarding this incident can contact Detective Kimo Keli’ipa’akaua of the Area I Criminal Investigations Section at (808) 961-2375, or via email at kimo.keliipaakaua@hawaiicounty.gov.