Hawai‘i Island authorities detained a Mountain View man implicated in a robbery at a Hilo auto parts store this past Tuesday morning. The suspect is Raul Jaramillo Laa, a 34-year-old man, who now faces first-degree robbery charges. According to the Hawaii Police Department, the altercation took place shortly before 11:00 a.m. on the 2100 block of Kanoelehua Avenue.
During the confrontation, Laa allegedly tried to abscond with items from the store by secreting them away into his backpack. He was then confronted by a store employee and responded by brandishing a knife. The employee sustained a minor injury while trying to detain Laa but declined medical treatment. Laa is reported to have also verbally threatened two other employees before making his exit. Patrol officers managed to track down and arrest Laa at a nearby gas station, with the backpack in question still in his possession.
The store employee involved described the incident to the responding officers, saying, "a man entered the store, selected several items, and placed them into his backpack, then attempted to leave the store without paying for the merchandise." This statement was part of the record in the Hawaii Police Department report. Laa's apprehension was facilitated by the description of his getaway vehicle provided by witnesses, although the suspect had fled the scene on foot by the time authorities located the car.
Ultimately, patrol officers, along with members of the Area I Crime Reduction Unit, worked together to swiftly identify and apprehend the suspect. Laa was found at a gas station on Kekela Street, where officers "made extensive area checks, and located a man matching the description of the suspect," according to Hawaii Police Department statements. He was taken into custody pending further investigation. The authorities have urged anyone with additional information about the crime to contact the Hilo police.
