Hilo Man Charged with Beating, Robbing Elderly Victim During Storm Emergency

A witness flagged down officers on Ponahawai Street Sunday evening and pointed to Zodice K. Madeyski Jr. as the man who had just knocked a 70-year-old to the ground near the corner of Kilauea Avenue and Ponahawai Street in downtown Hilo, leaving the victim sitting on the sidewalk dazed and with a bloody face, according to court documents filed by police.

Madeyski, 37, was arrested at 7:13 p.m. at the corner of Ponahawai and Kinoole streets and charged with first-degree robbery and first-degree assault. Because the alleged attack occurred on March 15, 2026, during a state emergency declared by Gov. Josh Green in response to the Kona low storm, the charges carry greater severity than they otherwise would. First-degree robbery is a Class A felony punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment; first-degree assault is a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The witness told officers he saw Madeyski knock the victim down with a fist and rummage through the man's pockets, but did not see Madeyski take anything from the victim, court documents state. The victim told police he saw an unknown man approach and swing a fist toward him but does not remember whether he was struck. He told police he blacked out and could not remember anything else.

At a court hearing, Judge Hawk denied a defense request, maintained Madeyski's bail at $100,000, and ordered him to return Wednesday for a preliminary hearing. Madeyski has five prior felony convictions, according to court documents. He remains in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center.

The attack came as the Kona low storm battered Hawaii Island, with roughly 8,000 Hawaiian Electric Company customers across the island still without power in its wake. The storm's emergency declaration, which elevated the felony classifications Madeyski now faces, also set the backdrop for one of the most vulnerable moments imaginable for a 70-year-old man alone on a downtown Hilo sidewalk.