HILO — Two men who were the subject of a Dec. 30 wanted bulletin by police said they were forced at gunpoint by Eric Fontes Jr. to help dispose of the body of Barton Bumatay.
According to court documents filed by police, Christian Alameda told detectives he and Shannon Souza went to a 33rd Avenue home in Hawaiian Paradise Park, the site of Bumatay’s home and auto repair shop, shortly after midnight New Year’s Day.
Alameda said he saw Fontes there, holding a .22-caliber revolver, and Fontes told him he had shot the 59-year-old Bumatay in the head. Alameda told police he saw Bumatay’s body on the kitchen floor of the home, documents state.
Alameda and Souza told detectives Fontes threatened them at gunpoint to help him dispose of Bumatay’s body, and they used a 2007 Chevy Colorado pickup truck to transport his body.
According to documents, the truck belonged to Bumatay’s daughter, Alanna, but was used by Bumatay.
Alameda led detectives to two locations on Beach Road off Makuu Drive in HPP, where badly decomposed and dismembered human remains were found on Jan. 23.
According to an autopsy, the victim was Bumatay, and he’d been shot twice in the head, documents state.
Alameda told detectives he feared for his life and thought Fontes would have shot him had he not helped dispose of the body, documents state.
Souza reported Fontes threatened to kill him and his entire family if he decided to “squeal” or “rat,” according to documents.
Alameda, 41, was taken into custody by police Jan. 13 and charged with failure to appear and two counts of contempt of court.
Souza, 43, was arrested Jan. 25 and charged with violating probation.
Another witness, identified in documents as Sharina Pavao, reportedly told detectives Fontes took her on a ride to a remote area in Pepeekeo, where he bragged about shooting Bumatay and making Alameda and Souza chop up the body.
Pavao said she thought Fontes was going to kill her, and he threatened her mother and children, saying they would “go away for a long time,” according to documents.
Fontes, who is charged with second-degree murder, second-degree theft, being a felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, and a single count of second-degree terroristic threatening, made his initial court appearance Friday.
He appeared to be dabbing at tears with a tissue as Hilo Family Judge Henry Nakamoto ordered him to appear for a preliminary hearing at 2 p.m. Monday in Hilo District Court.
Fontes also pleaded not guilty Friday in Hilo Circuit Court to second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug and drug paraphernalia. Judge Greg Nakamura ordered him to appear for trial on those charges at 9 a.m. on June 20.
Fontes is in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center in lieu of $727,000 bail.
