Hawaii police search for man wanted in connection with 3 killings in 2 days

Police in Hawaii on Thursday were searching for a 36-year-old man they described as “armed and extremely dangerous” and wanted in connection with three killings within a two-day period earlier this week.

Hawaii Police Chief Reed Mahona said authorities were deploying “significant resources and personnel” to try to find Jacob Baker, of Pahoa, Hawaii.

Three men, including two 69-year-olds and one 79-year-old, were found dead Monday and Tuesday in the Puna area of ​​Hawaii Island, also known as the Big Island. The island is the largest in the Hawaiian chain with an area of ​​over 4,000 square miles (10,360 square km).

“This is a tragic series of events and our thoughts are with those who are grieving at this time,” Mahona said at a news conference on Wednesday. “The Hawaii Police Department understands the fear and concerns that incidents like this bring to our community.”

Mahona declined to provide details about the search, but said detaining Baker was his administration’s “number one priority.”

Authorities said they have not determined a motive but are confident Baker was involved in the three murders. Mahona did not release information about how police identified Baker as a suspect or what evidence might link him to the killings.

On Monday at around 8pm, police found a 69-year-old man in a residence partially submerged in a cement pond, Mahona said. The chief said police did not initially know if there was a homicide, but preliminary autopsy results showed the death was a homicide.

A 79-year-old man was found dead Tuesday with blunt force injuries shortly after 12:30 p.m., Mahona said. He said the killing occurred about 400 to 500 feet (122 to 152 meters) from the first murder.

Later Tuesday, around 10 p.m., police responded to a property located about 19 miles (31 kilometers) from the two other homicides on a welfare check request and found a 69-year-old man dead from his injuries, Mahona said.

Police said there were no known connections between the victims, other than the first two men who lived near each other. Mahona said no weapons were used in the killings.

Mahona said Baker is known to police, but did not provide details.

Two women filed petitions for temporary restraining orders against Baker just last week, in connection with what they said were threats and harassment occurring at a farm where they resided or co-owned. Ultimately, the judge denied both requests, saying there was insufficient evidence of harassment.

One of the women alleged in her petition that Baker threatened to kill several women who were staying at the property, and caused a number of them to move or terminate their residency. It included a link to a video allegedly depicting at least one threat, but the link had either been removed or was incorrect as of Thursday.

The other woman alleged in her petition that Baker threatened women and a disabled man, said he would trespass on the property, take items that did not belong to him and said his intention was to take the property.

No attorney was listed for Baker, who has had 20 other cases on the court record over the past two decades, many of them traffic violations. There were also a few criminal or administrative citations including allowing a dog to wander, failure to appear in court and simple trespassing.

In most of those cases, Baker represented himself.

Puna, located on the eastern side of the island, is a rural but rapidly growing area known for its affordable housing prices. It’s also an area where lava flows have wiped out entire communities over the years. The landscape is lush and tropical mixed with barren lava fields.

Officials were asking the public to report any information about Baker to police and any suspicious activity in the areas of the homicides, and urged people not to approach Baker.

Associated Press writer Jennifer Kelleher in Honolulu contributed to this report.