(Update) Police Charge Kona Teen Following Weapons Incident in Kona

Hawai‘i Island police have charged 19-year-old Fernando Villanueva-Gonzalez of Kailua-Kona with multiple offenses relating to a weapons incident reported on Sunday, June 1, 2025, in the area of Puohulihuli Street near Kealakehe High School in Kailua-Kona.

Upon responding to the 12:41 a.m. incident, police located a crowd of 20 individuals in the area. Witness accounts indicated that a male party brandished a firearm and fired one round into the air during a physical altercation involving multiple individuals.

After being identified as the suspect, Villanueva-Gonzalez of Kailua-Kona was arrested on scene at 1:05 a.m. and was transported to the Kona Police Station, where he was held pending follow-up investigation.

On Monday, June 2, police charged Fernando Villanueva-Gonzalez with the following offenses:

• Permit to acquire
• Possession of loaded firearm on highway
• Third-degree promotion of a detrimental drug
• First-degree reckless endangering
• Place to keep pistols or revolvers
• Place to keep ammunition

Police ask that anyone with information regarding this incident, including information about potential accomplices, to please call Detective Aaron Tanaka, (808) 326-4646, ext. 228, or the police department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the Crime Stoppers number at (808) 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.