A violent robbery in Aiea has turned into an attempted murder investigation, and Honolulu police still haven't tracked down the man they believe is responsible. Officers say an unidentified attacker assaulted a 47-year-old man, stole his property and fled the scene around 8:50 p.m. before investigators upgraded the case to attempted murder.
According to Hawaii News Now, the robbery had “now been escalated to an attempted murder investigation” as Honolulu police continue searching for the suspect. The victim was taken to the hospital following the attack, though his current condition has not been released.
Suspect Still Unaccounted For
Police say the attacker assaulted the 47-year-old victim, took his belongings and ran off around 8:50 p.m., per the same account. As of the report, the suspect had not been located by police, and no description or further identifying details have been made public.
Honolulu Police Department’s annual report counted 511 robberies citywide in 2024, the same number recorded in 2023. The totals provide a broader Oʻahu backdrop but do not indicate how common this kind of violent robbery is or identify a trend specific to Aiea; the report groups robberies across the city and county. See the department’s annual robbery totals.
The circumstances that led to the escalation from robbery to attempted murder have not been detailed in the report. Hoodline will continue to follow this developing investigation and update this story as Honolulu police release more information.
Hawaiʻi law provides a legal connection between robbery and attempted killing: first-degree robbery applies when, while committing a theft, a person attempts to kill someone or intentionally or knowingly inflicts or attempts to inflict serious bodily injury. That statutory definition offers context for the investigation’s overlapping labels, but it does not establish what police believe happened in Aiea or what charges may follow. The standard appears in Hawaiʻi’s first-degree robbery statute.
