Police have arrested a 35-year-old Illinois man suspected of killing a homeless woman early Friday morning in downtown Hilo.
Police have arrested a 35-year-old Illinois man suspected of killing a homeless woman early Friday morning in downtown Hilo.
Curtis Hodges of Shiloh, Ill., was arrested at about 11 a.m. at a hostel on Waianuenue Avenue and booked on suspicion of second-degree murder.
Officers responded a report shortly before 1 a.m. Friday of an injured, unresponsive woman in front of the Koehnen Building near Mokupapapa Discovery Center on Kamehameha Avenue. There, they found a woman dead with what they called obvious signs of foul play.
Hodges was arrested after a review of video footage of the area, police said.
The Belleville (Ill.) News-Democrat reported Friday Hodges’ criminal record in St. Clair County, Ill., includes numerous battery charges.
“In addition to a battery case stemming from an incident in April that’s still pending, he was convicted on battery charges in June 2014 stemming from another incident in Shiloh and twice in November 2007 for incidents investigated by Belleville police and St. Clair County deputies,” the Illinois newspaper reported.
Police Capt. Robert Wagner of the Hilo Criminal Investigations Section wouldn’t say how the woman, who he said appeared to be in her 40s or 50s, died.
“We have a tentative ID, but we haven’t positively identified her yet,” he said.
Police are attempting to identify the victim through fingerprints.
Brenda Blaylock, a resident of the nearby Bayshore Towers apartments, said she walks often in the area and notices the area has a larger homeless population than a year ago. She said she’s befriended a couple of homeless individuals downtown.
“I just hope it wasn’t my friend,” she said of the victim.
Mary Bicknell, owner of Big Island BookBuyers on Waianuenue Avenue, around the corner from the crime scene, called the incident “tragic.”
“I heard it was a young woman, and I don’t know her circumstances,” she said. “… It’s criminal how many people need help. They’re lost. They’re not part of any system and they need help. And nobody’s helping them. It’s not just here; it’s islandwide.
“We need homeless shelters. As a business owner here, I need information that says, ‘You need to go right here, and they’re going to help you. They’re going to get you some medical treatment and they’re going to send you in the right direction, so you’re not on the street and become a victim.’”
Anyone with information is asked to call the police nonemergency line at 935-3311 or contact Detective Robert Almeida at 961-2386 or Robert.almeida@hawaiicounty.gov.
Those who prefer anonymity may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.