A late-night confrontation off Farrington Highway in Waiʻanae turned into a fight for survival Thursday when a 36-year-old woman was allegedly attacked with a machete, then managed to wrestle the weapon away before her assailant bolted into the dark.
Honolulu police say officers were called around 10:49 p.m. to reports of an assault near the guardrails along the highway. The woman, who had been in an altercation with a male suspect armed with a machete, was taken to a hospital for treatment after disarming him, according to investigators. The suspect took off on foot.
Detectives have opened an attempted murder case and are canvassing the area for witnesses and surveillance video. The suspect is described as a local male, approximately 40 to 50 years old, about 5 feet 8 inches tall with a medium build. The investigation is ongoing, according to the Honolulu Police Department.
How to help
Police are asking anyone with information to call 911 or CrimeStoppers Honolulu. Anonymous tips can be made to the CrimeStoppers hotline at (808) 955-8300. The group also takes tips through an online form listed on the official site for CrimeStoppers Honolulu.
West Oʻahu context
The machete attack lands in the middle of a rough stretch for west Oʻahu, where police in late May were called to a large Waiʻanae fight that included reports of possible gunfire, according to Hawaii News Now. More recently, officers arrested a 64-year-old man in an alleged knife attack near Electric Beach, part of what one local outlet described as knife chaos at Electric Beach.
Residents and community leaders have been calling for more visible patrols and additional resources on the west side as officers work to identify suspects and tamp down the spike in violent incidents.
Legal implications
Honolulu police have classified the Waiʻanae case as an attempted murder investigation. If prosecutors bring charges, they would rely on Hawaii criminal law governing attempts and inchoate offenses. The definition and elements of criminal attempt are laid out in Hawaii Revised Statutes §705-500.
So far, no arrests have been announced in the machete case. Detectives say the investigation is still active and again urge anyone with information to call 911 or CrimeStoppers Honolulu at (808) 955-8300.
