Suspect in Glenwood incident declines remainder of preliminary hearing

JAGGAR DUNNE-TORRES
Subscribe Now Choose a package that suits your preferences.
Start Free Account Get access to 7 premium stories every month for FREE!
Already a Subscriber? Current print subscriber? Activate your complimentary Digital account.

HILO — A 21-year-old Mountain View man police say was the driver of a Honda Civic that an officer fired a shot at on Nov. 19 in Glenwood has waived his right to the remainder of a preliminary hearing that started last week.

Jaggar Dunne-Torres 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.

Hilo District Judge Kimberly Taniyama on Tuesday ordered Dunne-Torres to appear at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 31 for arraignment and plea before Hilo Circuit Judge Henry Nakamoto.

Special Enforcement Unit Officer Andrew Springer testified Dec. 12 that he identified Dunne-Torres as the driver of a fleeing vehicle at which he fired a shot. He also testified that Dunne-Torres drove directly at fellow SEU Officer Victor McLellan, who escaped injury by jumping back into the passenger side of a rented SUV that Springer was driving.

Springer testified that the Honda sideswiped the passenger side of the SUV, slamming the front passenger side door shut and damaging it.

McLellan was scheduled to testify Tuesday when Dunne-Torres declined the remainder of the preliminary hearing.

Dunne-Torres was being sought on an arrest warrant at the time of the November incident, police said. He has three additional active cases in Hilo Circuit Court and faces charges of second-degree robbery, three charges of unauthorized control of a stolen vehicle and misdemeanor trespassing.

Dunne-Torres was on court-supervised release when the alleged incident took place.

Attempted first-degree murder, which is charged because the alleged victim, McLellan, is a police officer, carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole upon conviction, while attempted second-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole upon conviction.

Dunne-Torres remains in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center in lieu of $158,000 bail.

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