Hawai‘i Island police arrested and charged 24-year-old Hayden E. Bruce of Mountain View with numerous offenses in connection with a Kurtistown stolen vehicle incident that resulted in injuries to officers and damage to a police-subsidized vehicle.
After conferring with the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Bruce was charged with the following offenses:
- First-degree theft
- Unauthorized control of propelled vehicle (auto theft)
- First-degree criminal property damage
- (Two counts) First-degree assault on a police officer
- Carrying or possessing a loaded firearm on highway
- Place to keep pistol or revolvers
- Place to keep ammunition
- Permits to acquire firearm
- Mandatory registration of firearm
- Duty upon striking unattended vehicle or property
- Driving without a valid driver’s license
Bruce was also arrested on two outstanding bench warrants.
On January 18, police received a report of a gray Kia Soul driving recklessly on Highway 11 towards Kea‘au. The witness provided Central Dispatch with the Kia’s license plate number and updates, including that the vehicle had parked in front of a convenience store in Kurtistown. A check of the license plate determined that the vehicle had been reported stolen in Hilo in November 2025.
Uniformed patrol officers arrived at the scene and contacted Bruce, who was seated in the driver’s seat of the stolen vehicle and its sole occupant. Officers issued repeated verbal commands for Bruce to exit the vehicle, which he refused. When an officer opened the driver’s side door to remove Bruce from the vehicle, Bruce reversed at a high rate of speed, forcing the officer to jump into the moving vehicle to avoid serious injury.
A second officer attempting to assist was injured by the reversing vehicle. The stolen vehicle then collided with a police-subsidized vehicle parked several feet behind it. Officers were subsequently able to remove Bruce from the vehicle and place him under arrest. A cross-body bag worn by Bruce was recovered as evidence.
The involved officers sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
Detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigation Section responded and assumed the investigation. The scene was processed, and the stolen vehicle was recovered as evidence. The damaged police-subsidized vehicle was also recovered and towed for further processing.
A search warrant executed on the cross-body bag, resulted in the recovery of a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic pistol.
A separate search warrant executed on the stolen vehicle led to the recovery of live 9 mm ammunition.
Police ask anyone who may have witnessed this incident to contact Detective Amy Omaya of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2381, or via email at Amy.Omaya@hawaiipolice.gov.
HPD Photo