Hawai’i Island police arrested and charged 33-year-old Gilbert K. Mata III, of Hilo, with property, drug, and traffic offenses following a recent incident in the Hawaiian Paradise Park Subdivision.
After conferral with the Hawaii County Prosecutor’s Office, Area I Criminal Investigation Division detectives charged Mata with the following offenses:
- unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle
- resisting an order to stop a motor vehicle
- first-degree criminal property damage
- habitual property crime
- first-degree theft
- third-degree promoting a dangerous drug (four-counts)
On August 24, officers responded to a report of an active burglary at a Hawaiian Paradise Park Subdivision residence and observed a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck with no front license plate parked near a warehouse.
As an officer exited his vehicle, the truck operator revved its engine and accelerated at high speed towards him. The the truck then ran over a fence, then reversed aggressively towards the police vehicle striking the driver’s side door causing damage.
As the vehicle exited the property, officers attempted a traffic stop, however the truck refused and led police on a slow pursuit, out of the Hawaiian Paradise Park Subdivision, onto Highway 130, then into the Ainaloa Estates Subdivision and then into the Hawaiian Acres subdivision.
The truck eventually came to a stop on Road 6, between Road E and Road F. Upon giving verbal commands, a male carrying a black back pack exited followed by a female carrying a gray back pack. Both parties then fled on foot and ran into nearby bushes, dropping the backpacks just before entering. They were both apprehended by police.
Mata was identified as the male party, while the female party was identified as Carolyn Samson. Both were arrested and transported to the East Hawai’i Detention Facility for booking, processing, and continued investigation by detectives. The truck and backpacks were recovered as evidence and secured pending the execution of search warrants.
Officers conducted a registered owner check on the pick-up truck, which revealed it was stolen from a Hilo residence sometime during the late evening of July 27, 2024, and early morning of July 28, 2024.
On August 25, search warrants were executed on the truck and backpacks which resulted in the recovery of small amounts of methamphetamine, a methamphetamine-smoking pipe, and a blue round pill imprinted with “M30” which tested for the presence of fentanyl.
Samson was released pending investigation.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Jeremy Kubojiri of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2378, or via email at jeremy.kubojiri@hawaiicounty.gov.
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