Stabbing victim released from hospital

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HILO — A 41-year-old Hilo woman stabbed Friday morning during a domestic dispute with a man who was shot and killed by police later in the day has been released from the hospital.

HILO — A 41-year-old Hilo woman stabbed Friday morning during a domestic dispute with a man who was shot and killed by police later in the day has been released from the hospital.

Police Lt. Greg Esteban of the Hilo Criminal Investigations Section said Monday afternoon Catherine Arbour “is talking to detectives right now, as we speak.”

Arbour was taken to Hilo Medical Center in critical condition Friday after being stabbed at the Oceanfront 121 building, formerly known as the Country Club condos, on Banyan Drive in Hilo. She underwent surgery for her wounds.

Police engaged in a manhunt for the woman’s 28-year-old boyfriend, Stephen Whitney, who was seen leaving in a stolen grey Honda sedan. About an hour later, Whitney ditched the sedan in the 1800 block of Kaumana Drive and sped off in a 2010 Nissan Frontier pickup belonging to surveyors working in the area.

Officers caught up with Whitney at about 4 p.m. Friday on Volcano Highway (Route 11) near the entrance of Shipman Industrial Park in Keaau after finding the truck parked on the road in a Hilo-bound lane. Police say Whitney refused to comply with officers’ instructions and instead drove toward an officer in the truck, causing another officer to fire his weapon, killing Whitney.

The owner of the Honda sedan, Hilo musician Moon Brown, posted Monday on Facebook he’s “feeling truly blessed today.”

“On Friday my car was stolen from my driveway by a man running from the police,” Brown wrote. “I was home and heard some commotion outside but didn’t go check because I was resting before a long gig that night. Thank God I didn’t go because he ended up being killed by the police that day.”

Arbour, a Canadian citizen who’s been in Hawaii for less than a year, is facing unrelated felony charges.

She and Whitney were arrested on Oct. 25 at an equipment rental business on Pau O Palae Street in Hilo when the owner found them on the property and noticed four louvers removed from a shop window. Arbour was charged with attempted second-degree burglary and third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, plus drug paraphernalia, when officers allegedly found her to be in possession of a pipe with methamphetamine residue. Whitney was charged with trespassing.

According to police, while investigating the burglary, detectives also charged Armour with second-degree robbery for a June 28 shoplifting incident at the Hilo Target store.

According to court documents filed by police, Arbour was spotted by a store detective taking a purse and a bottle of perfume worth a total of $133.97 and leaving the store without paying for them. When confronted outside the store by the detective, Arbour allegedly kicked the 27-year-old woman in the lower abdomen and fled.

Arbour, who is free on $12,500 bail, pleaded not guilty to all charges Nov. 3. Hilo Circuit Judge Glenn Hara ordered her to return at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 9 for a change-of-plea and sentencing hearing. He gave Arbour, who has an expired student visa and signed a waiver-of-extradition form, permission to travel to Canada.

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.