Police Charge Keaau Man With Multiple Offenses Following Weapons Incident in Hilo

Hawaiʻi Island police detectives have arrested and charged 40-year-old John Juan-Malak Taliauli, of Keaʻau, following a violent confrontation with an acquaintance in the early morning hours of Monday, May 12, 2025, on Wainaku Street in Hilo.

The charges against Taliauli stem from an incident reported shortly after 1:00 a.m. on Monday, when Hilo patrol officers responded to a disturbance at the 500 block of Wainaku Street for a report of a man making threats while in possession of a handgun.

Responding officers contacted the 30-year-old male victim, who reported that an acquaintance of his, Taliauli, brandished a handgun from his waistband while threatening to kill him. The victim reported that Taliauli fled the area in a vehicle. Additional responding officers located the vehicle traveling on Kinoʻole Street, pulling into a restaurant drive-thru in the downtown Hilo area. Upon initial contact with Taliauli, he was informed he was under arrest, and disregarded officers verbal commands. Officers negotiated with Taliauli for nearly an hour until he complied and was placed under arrest without incident. The vehicle he was operating was seized as evidence pending issusance of a search warrant.

On Monday afternoon, May 12, officers with the Area I Crime Reduction Unit executed a search warrant on Taliauli’s vehicle, which resulted in the seizure of a loaded pistol, various types of illegal narcotics, and drug paraphernalia.

On Monday evening, May 12, upon conferral with the County of Hawaiʻi Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Taliauli was charged with:

• First-degree terroristic threatening
• Driving without a valid license
• Place to keep: pistols or revolvers
• Place to keep: ammunition
• Carrying or possessing a loaded firearm on public highway
• Third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug (fentanyl)
• Second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug (methamphetamine)
• Prohibited acts related to drug paraphernalia

His bail was set at $196,000. Taliauli remains in police custody pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, May 13, 2025, in Hilo District Court.

Police would like to thank to public and restaurant employees for their patience during this incident, and apologize for the inconvenience, as the drive-thru was closed for over an hour.

Police ask anyone who may have witnessed this incident to call Officer Manuel Soares of the Area I Crime Reduction Unit at (808) 961-8222, or via email at manuel.soares@hawaiicounty.gov.