Hawaii Island police have charged a 41-year-old Hilo man with murder for the alleged stabbing death of a 39-year-old woman on Halloween in Hilo.
Davi Franklin Alvarez Sr. was charged Monday afternoon with second-degree murder in the death of Noelle Keala Tamiko Buffett, also of Hilo. Buffett was identified by police as an acquaintance of Alvarez.
Alvarez is being held in lieu of $1 million bail pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Wednesday in Hilo District Court.
The charge stems from an incident that occurred on Saturday afternoon at the Val Hala Apartment Complex off Puueo Street in Hilo. Shortly after 1 p.m., South Hilo Patrol officers responded to the complex for a report of a woman who had been stabbed within her apartment.
Police located the victim’s lifeless body within her apartment’s bedroom. During the course of the investigation, police identified Alvarez as a suspect.
“Witnesses reported to police that he had left the area prior to police arrival,” the Hawaii Police Department said in a media release.
Detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigation Section responded to the scene to continue the investigation. Alvarez was located about an hour and a half later walking on Kapiolani Street in Hilo where he was arrested without incident.
An autopsy performed Monday morning concluded that Buffett died as a result of a stab wound to the chest, and the manner of death was ruled homicide.
According to court records, Davi has an extensive criminal record dating back to 2002 and has been convicted of 37 criminal charges. Of those convictions, four are for Class C felonies, including two for felony domestic abuse, plus escape and first-degree terroristic threatening.
His misdemeanor convictions include second-degree terroristic threatening and two counts each of misdemeanor domestic abuse and violating a protective order.
Alvarez has two active cases in Hilo Circuit Court, one for first-degree terroristic threatening and felony domestic abuse, filed July 7, the other for a misdemeanor refusal to obey the lawful order of a police officer, filed July 9.
Anyone with information on this incident should contact the department’s nonemergency line at (808) 935-3311 or Detective John Balberde at (808) 961-2386 or email him at John.Balberde@hawaiicounty.gov.
