A 25-year-old Hilo man is accused of entering his ex-girlfriend鈥檚 apartment without permission, attacking her new 25-year-old boyfriend and her 62-year-old mother.
Gilberto Diaz Escobar is charged with attempted second-degree murder, first-degree terroristic threatening, first-degree and second-degree assault.
According to a statement by county Prosecutor Kelden Waltjen, the incident occurred April 3 at the woman鈥檚 Maile Street apartment.
The most serious offense, attempted second-degree murder, carries a penalty of life in prison with the possibility of parole.
After reportedly entering the apartment without permission, Escobar punched the 25-year-old man in the mouth before placing him into a rear-naked choke.
Escobar then allegedly threatened the man and attempted to stab him with a kitchen knife and chased him into the apartment complex鈥檚 parking lot, where bystanders later intervened.
Before fleeing the scene, Escobar allegedly shoved the 62-year-old woman to the ground.
Police arrested Escobar Monday at a Waikoloa residence.
At Escobar鈥檚 initial court appearance Wednesday, Hilo District Judge Kanani Laubach maintained Escobar鈥檚 bail at $1.06 million and ordered him to return to court this afternoon for a preliminary hearing and for a hearing regarding a written motion by Deputy Prosecutor Kirsten Selvig seeking to hold Escobar without bail.
According to the motion, Escobar 鈥� who has an active case that includes charges of felony domestic abuse of the same ex-girlfriend by strangulation, plus felony domestic abuse in the presence of a minor and auto theft 鈥� was ordered by the court in February to not contact, threaten or harm his ex-girlfriend or their daughter.
A jury trial was scheduled to begin next Monday on those charges.
According to the document, Escobar sent his ex-girlfriend a text after the April 3 incident, telling her to 鈥渨atch out.鈥�
鈥淵ou do me dirty like this. Imma do you dirty. Hahaha. I liked when he was begging for his life,鈥� Escobar wrote in the text, the document states.
According to the motion, a judge may deny bail when 鈥渢he charge is for a 鈥榮erious crime鈥� and there is a serious risk that the person will flee 鈥� or there is a serious risk that the person poses a danger to any person or the community, or there is a serious risk that the person will engage in illegal activity.鈥�
Selvig wrote that the state鈥檚 position is that Escobar is charged with a serious crime and 鈥渇ills all other criteria鈥� in the law cited.
鈥淲hile he was pending an imminent trial date for allegedly abusing (his former girlfriend), and while he was under conditions of no contact with (his ex), he learned that she was in a relationship with another man, and almost immediately went to her residence to attack and kill that other man,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淗e then fled the scene, taunted and threatened (his ex), and remained hidden from police for nearly four days.鈥�
Escobar remains in custody at 91直播 Community Correctional Center.
Email John Burnett at john.burnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.