A 35-year-old Ocean View man on Thursday pleaded not guilty to assault charges stemming from a February stabbing outside a Ka’u convenience store.
A 35-year-old Ocean View man on Thursday pleaded not guilty to assault charges stemming from a February stabbing outside a Ka’u convenience store.
Biti Biti Junior Jr. pleaded not guilty to one count each second-degree assault, driving under the influence of an intoxicant and driving without a license stemming from the Feb. 13 incident that left a 44-year-old Ocean View man injured, according to 3rd Circuit Court records.
3rd Circuit Court Chief Judge Ronald Ibarra set Junior’s jury trial for 9 a.m. July 3, according to the records. Bail was maintained at $5,000.
According to police, Biti allegedly used a knife to stab the 44-year-old in the ribs and neck before the victim was able to get away and summon help inside the Ocean View-area convenience store. The victim, who had gone to the store with his wife around 7:30 p.m., was an acquaintance of Biti.
The victim was taken to Kona Community Hospital where he was treated for his injuries and released two days later. The man’s 38-year-old wife was not injured, according to police.
Second-degree assault is a class C felony punishable by up to five years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $10,000, according to Hawaii Revised Statutes.