21 year-old Derick Camacho of Captain Cook was sentenced to 15 years in prison for robbery, burglary, and unlawful imprisonment.

On July 20, 2023, the owner of the Kahuku Gift Shop in Ocean View responded to a burglary where Camacho, who was wearing a ski mask over his face, assaulted, threatened, and bound the owner’s hands and feet with tape. Responding HPD officers were able to compel Camacho to release the shop owner by deploying their tasers before placing him under arrest.

On November 20, 2023, Camacho appeared in Kona Circuit Court where he entered No Contest pleas to charges of Robbery in the Second Degree, Burglary in the Second Degree, and Unlawful Imprisonment in the First Degree.

On Monday, Camacho was sentenced to serve a ten-year prison term for the robbery and five-year prison terms for both the burglary and unlawful imprisonment offenses. The Court ordered that the robbery and unlawful imprisonment offenses be served consecutively for a total of fifteen years. Robbery in the Second Degree is a class B felony offense punishable by a maximum penalty of a ten-year prison term. Both Burglary in the Second Degree and Unlawful Imprisonment in the First Degree are class C felony offenses punishable by a maximum penalty of a five-year prison term.

The case was initiated by Ka‘u Patrol, while the felony investigation was led by Detective Cacique Melendez with assistance from Detective Len Hamakado of the Hawaiʻi County Police Department’s Area II Criminal Investigation Section. The case was prosecuted by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Chase Murray.

In a press release Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen said, “This sentence reaffirms our Office’s commitment to hold violent offenders accountable and protect our community. We hope that this result provides closure to the victim and his family and a sense that justice was served.”

 

Photo credit: Hawaiʻi County Prosecuting Attorney