HILO — A court document filed by police states Jaggar Dunne-Torres, accused of driving a Honda Civic at a police officer during an incident Nov. 19 in which another officer fired a shot, is the current boyfriend of Tearon Pacheco-Fernandez, who is accused of driving a Toyota Tacoma shot at by two officers in a busy supermarket parking lot in Hilo the day before Thanksgiving.
The document also states the location of the Nov. 19 incident is the Glenwood home of Pacheco-Fernandez’s mother, Norma Jean Pacheco. Police earlier said the home was under surveillance by Special Enforcement Unit officers in an unmarked vehicle as the residence is known to be frequented by “wanted subjects.”
Dunne-Torres, a 21-year-old Mountain View man, is charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree property damage, resisting an order to stop and driving without a license. He pleaded not guilty to all charges Friday and was ordered by Hilo District Judge Cynthia Tai to return to court at 2 p.m. Tuesday for a preliminary hearing.
Attorney Stanton Oshiro was appointed by the court to represent Dunne-Torres, as Deputy Public Defender Arthur Indiola noted his office has a conflict because it represents Pacheco-Fernandez, whom he described as a “material witness” in Dunne-Torres’ case.
Dunne-Torres is in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center in lieu of $158,000 bail.
Attempted first-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole upon conviction, while a conviction of attempted second-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life with the possibility of parole.
The document states that at about 2:40 p.m. Nov. 19, SEU Officer Andrew Springer followed a Honda Civic with no license plates that made a U-turn by Hirano Store to the residence, where it stopped in front. Springer identified the driver as Dunne-Torres and the front-seat passenger as 24-year-old Elliot Kakazu, “based on prior police contacts,” and knew Dunne-Torres had “multiple outstanding warrants.”
Springer parked the rented silver 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV that served as his temporary subsidized unmarked vehicle on the property’s driveway, according to the document, and got out, unholstered his duty weapon and shouted, “Police! Stop!” while aiming the firearm at the Honda. SEU Officer Victor McLellan, a passenger in the SUV, also exited the vehicle.
The affidavit states Dunne-Torres drove “at a high rate of speed” toward the passenger side of the Tahoe, causing McLellan to jump back inside the SUV, narrowly escaping being struck. The Honda struck the open front passenger door of the SUV, “slamming the door shut, and continued to sideswipe the entire passenger side of the Tahoe.”
Springer fired a shot at the Civic as it fled down the driveway, saw the Honda turn left onto Volcano Road and disappear, according to the narrative.
Estimated damage to the Tahoe was $5,065, the document states.
Kakazu told police on Nov. 27 that Dunne-Torres didn’t say a word as he drove toward the SUV and Kakazu ducked and repeatedly yelled “Stop!” and “No! No! No!” before the Civic collided with the Tahoe, according to the document. Kakazu also reportedly told police the Civic appeared to lift at an angle during the collision and glass shattered within the Civic as a result of the impact.
He reportedly told the interviewer that Dunne-Torres dropped him off at Cooper Center in Volcano before driving away.
At the time of the incident, Dunne-Torres was on court-supervised release without monetary bail in an active case for second-degree robbery, first-degree trespassing and three counts of unauthorized control of a stolen vehicle, with three outstanding warrants for revocation of supervised release.
On Monday, Acting Hilo Circuit Judge Darien Nagata revoked Dunne-Torres’ supervised release, set bail on those charges at $15,000 and set trial for 9 a.m. Feb. 18, 2020.
According to another court document filed by police, McClellan was one of two officers who fired shots at a teal Toyota Tacoma pickup truck that allegedly drove at the officer and struck two vehicles Nov. 27 in the Puainako KTA Super Stores parking lot. The other, according to that document, was Hilo Patrol Officer Shane Hanley.
Police say Pacheco-Fernandez, 24, was the driver of the Tacoma. She’s charged with two counts of property damage, plus terroristic threatening, resisting an order to stop, leaving the scene of an accident and driving without a license.
She has a 2 p.m. Monday preliminary hearing scheduled in that case and is in custody at HCCC in lieu of $32,010 bail on those offenses, plus an additional $50,000 for an alleged burglary and first-degree theft of an automobile in May at a home in the Volcano Golf and Country Club subdivision.
Police said they also suspect her of totaling an unmarked police vehicle in a ramming incident Nov. 14 on Kaumana Drive in Hilo and fleeing from officers the following the day after being spotted in the parking lot of the Puainako Town Center in Hilo.
She has not been charged for those incidents and police hadn’t recovered the Tacoma as of Thursday.
All three officers who discharged their weapons were placed on administrative leave while the department conducts internal investigations, police said.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
