MEDIA RELEASE

Ronald Joseph Kong

A 33-year-old Puna man has been charged with numerous offenses stemming from a Hawaiian Acres domestic abuse incident.

At 7 p.m. Tuesday, (January 19), after conferring with prosecutors, detectives charged Ronald Joseph Kong with abuse of a family/household member, second-degree assault, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, first-degree terroristic threatening, possessing explosive devices, three counts of possessing prohibited weapons, three counts of firearm on highway, place to keep pistol, two counts of place to keep ammunition, three counts of permit to acquire firearms, two counts of loaded firearm, two counts of alteration of identification marks prohibited, three counts of registration mandatory firearms, first-degree burglary, three counts of second-degree theft, six counts of third-degree promoting a dangerous drug, five counts of prohibited acts related to drug paraphernalia, and third-degree promoting a detrimental drug.

His bail was set at $467,000 and he remains in the police cellblock pending his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon (January 20).

Also after conferring with the prosecutor’s office, Kong was not charged for additional offenses pending further investigation of a first-degree terroristic threatening case for an alleged threat he made against a Big Island judge as well as for a separate first-degree burglary case. Both cases will be referred to the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney after completion.

Bomb technicians from the Honolulu Police Department’s Bomb Squad, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted the department’s Special Response Team in searching for explosives in a backpack and a stolen vehicle that Kong was seen operating and in the search of a property in Hawaiian Acres. An explosive device was located during the first search and was rendered safe by bomb technicians.

The department is also conferring with the federal agencies on possible federal charges relating to the firearms and the device.