Hawaii Island police seek public help finding runaway teen in Hilo

Hawaii Island police are asking anyone in central Hilo to watch for 16-year-old Kelii Nobriga, who was last seen on the 1700 block of Kinoole Street on June 1 wearing black and tan clothing. Police described him as Hawaiian and Filipino, with a light complexion, thin build, short black hair and brown eyes. He is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 120 pounds.

The fastest way to help is to contact Acting Detective Corey Kaneko at 808-961-8843 or corey.kaneko@hawaiipolice.gov with any sighting, timeframe or direction of travel that could narrow where Nobriga went after leaving Kinoole Street. In a busy part of Hilo where a teen can move quickly through downtown streets and nearby blocks, even a small detail about his clothing, route or companions could matter.

Nobriga’s name has surfaced in earlier runaway notices as well. In October 2025, police said he was last seen on Keaau Bypass Road on Oct. 3 at 2:30 p.m., wearing a black windbreaker-type jacket and gray sweatpants. In April 2025, police issued a joint runaway notice for Nobriga and Zealand Brickwood, saying both were last seen on Keaau-Pāhoa Road in Keaau on April 23 at 12:20 p.m. At that time, Nobriga was described as 15 years old, about 5 feet 4 inches tall, 120 pounds, with a medium build, black hair and brown eyes.

Kinoole Street has also come up repeatedly in Hawaii Island runaway cases, including other Hilo notices in 2024 and 2025. That makes the June 1 report especially important for residents, workers and anyone moving through the downtown Hilo corridor, where recognition can happen fast and a timely tip can make the difference in a juvenile runaway case. Police are treating every credible sighting as a possible lead in the search for Nobriga.