Hawaii Island police searching for Kona assault suspect

Hawaii Island police are seeking the public’s help with any information regarding an assault in Kailua-Kona early Friday morning.

According to Hawaii Police Department, Kona patrol officers responded to a report of a man “screaming in the roadway” at the 75-6000 block of Alii Drive at 3:55 a.m.

When officers arrived, they made contact with the 49-year-old victim who said he “was assaulted by an unidentified man wielding a bat with a sharp object attached to it,” according to a police news release. The victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries and declined medical treatment.

The suspect was last seen running north on Alii Drive, police said. He was described as 6 feet, 200 to 225 pounds with medium-length hair, and was last seen wearing a red or brown shirt and shoes.

Anyone with information should contact Officer Vincent Sanekane at 808-935-3311, or at vincent.sanekane@hawaiicounty.gov. Anonymous tipsters can call Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300.