Two men armed with handguns stopped a 65-year-old driver in the Tantalus area Tuesday night and ordered him out of his car, but he refused and sped away instead, escaping unharmed. Honolulu police say no property was taken and no injuries were reported in the attempted robbery, which remains under investigation with no arrests made.
According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the incident happened at about 9:10 p.m. Tuesday, based on a police incident report. The man told police that two men brandishing handguns stopped him while he was driving through the neighborhood and demanded he get out of his vehicle. He refused, hit the gas and drove off before anything further could happen.
Police classified the case as an attempted first-degree robbery. The same report notes there were no reported injuries and that nothing was stolen from the driver. As of the latest update, investigators had made no arrests and released no further details about the suspects or the exact location of the stop.
A Familiar Pattern on Tantalus's Winding Roads
This is not the first time armed confrontations have played out along the forested slopes above Makiki and Punchbowl. In February, police investigated a separate gunpoint robbery at a Tantalus lookout involving a 19-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman, the same outlet reported. In that case, one suspect pulled out a black handgun and demanded property, which the young man handed over before being injured in a struggle.
Go back further and the pattern holds: in May 2023, a man allegedly brandished a handgun at a 63-year-old driver and made off with his 1999 silver Lexus in broad daylight, according to the Star-Advertiser's earlier reporting. No injuries were reported in that carjacking either. And the area's history includes a far more tragic outcome — in March 2022, 18-year-old Haʻaheo Kolona was fatally shot near Round Top Drive after an attempted robbery, according to Hawaiʻi Public Radio, which reported that a man was later found guilty on all charges in that case.
Crime Numbers Down, but Not Fear
The latest Tantalus incident comes even as citywide crime statistics point to an overall decline. Honolulu recorded 30,758 reported offenses in 2025, a rate described as a 16.6% decrease from 2024's total crime rate, according to the Office of Gov. Josh Green. Robberies specifically fell 42% between 2021 and 2025 citywide, per an HPD annual report cited by Honolulu Civil Beat.
Still, the recurring string of armed encounters in the Tantalus area suggests the winding, often isolated roadways above town continue to draw opportunistic crime even as broader numbers trend downward. For now, police have not disclosed suspect descriptions or any other specifics tied to Tuesday night's attempted robbery, and the investigation remains open.
