A 58-year-old man was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition after being stabbed in Waimanalo early Sunday morning, and Honolulu police have made no arrests as they work to identify who attacked him. Officers were dispatched to the area at approximately 2:30 a.m. following a report of a man suffering from stab wounds.
According to documents cited by KITV, the Honolulu Police Department is investigating the incident as an apparent attempted murder. The victim was found with stab wounds and transported to the hospital, where he remained in critical condition, per the outlet's reporting. Police have not released details about the location within Waimanalo, a motive, or any relationship between the victim and whoever attacked him, and those specifics remain unconfirmed.
Case Falls to HPD's Largest Patrol District
Waimanalo sits within Honolulu Police Department Patrol District 4, the department's largest patrol district, which stretches along Windward Oahu from Makapuu Point to Kawela Bay, according to the Honolulu Police Department. That district is managed out of the Kaneohe Police Station, with substations in Kailua and Kahuku. Violent felony cases like this one typically get handed off from patrol officers to specialized detectives within HPD's Criminal Investigation Division, which oversees major crimes including homicide and attempted murder across the island.
The station's report notes that no arrests have been made at this time and the investigation remains ongoing. Island News has said it plans to provide updates as the case develops.
Preliminary Charges Often Shift as Cases Develop
Under Hawaii Revised Statutes § 707-701.5 and § 705-500, attempted second-degree murder is classified as a felony requiring proof that a person intentionally attempted to cause another person's death, according to CaseMine. A conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole under HRS § 706-656. It's worth noting that early police classifications like attempted murder reflect preliminary assessments of life-threatening injury and apparent intent, not a final legal determination.
Prosecutors on Oahu have, in past cases, reclassified initial attempted murder arrests to lesser charges after reviewing evidence with detectives. In one example this past July, an Oahu stabbing arrest initially booked as second-degree attempted murder was reclassified to first-degree assault following prosecutorial review, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Hawaii law also allows a defendant charged with attempted second-degree murder to raise an affirmative defense of extreme mental or emotional disturbance, which can mitigate the charge down to attempted manslaughter if a reasonable explanation for the disturbance is shown.
Not the First Early-Morning Stabbing in Waimanalo
This is not the first time HPD has investigated an early-morning stabbing in Waimanalo. Back in December 2024, Windward brawl left one critical after a 26-year-old man was stabbed near Kalanianaole Highway during a confrontation that began inside a local establishment before spilling outside. That case, too, began as an attempted murder investigation following an early-morning brawl.
District 4 also maintains a dedicated Community Policing Team covering Waimanalo, tasked with addressing localized public safety concerns, traffic awareness, and safety education alongside standard patrol units, per HPD.
How to Report Information
Anyone with information about Sunday's stabbing is asked to call 911 or CrimeStoppers at 808-955-8300. CrimeStoppers Honolulu also offers cash rewards of up to $1,000 for anonymous tips that lead to an arrest or indictment in major felony cases, according to CrimeStoppers Honolulu. The organization processed 3,285 anonymous tips in fiscal year 2025, forwarding 2,979 of those reports to law enforcement, which contributed to solving 656 cases; many tipsters, according to board reports, decline the cash reward and choose only to assist police. For those located outside Oahu who may have information, HPD maintains a direct non-emergency dispatch line at 808-529-3111 to route calls to police operators, since standard 911 calls placed from outside the island connect to mainland dispatch centers rather than HPD.
