Hilo Man Indicted for Assault, Robbery of 70-Year-Old During Kona-Low Emergency

A 70-year-old man saw an unknown figure approach him near the corner of Kilauea Avenue and Ponahawai Street, watched a fist swing toward him, and then remembered nothing else. He came to sitting on the sidewalk, face bloodied, as the Kona-low storm emergency gripped the island.

Zodice K. Madeyski Jr., 37, of Hilo, has since been indicted by a Hilo grand jury on charges of first-degree assault and first-degree robbery stemming from the March 15 attack. A witness at the scene told officers he saw Madeyski knock the victim to the ground with a fist and rummage through the man's pockets, though the witness did not see Madeyski take anything.

Hilo patrol officers arrested Madeyski at 7:13 p.m. that same evening at the corner of Ponahawai and Kinoole streets, a short distance from the attack site. The victim was transported to Hilo Benioff Medical Center's emergency room, where doctors diagnosed him with a conjunctival hemorrhage of the right eye, a corneal abrasion of the left eye, multiple facial bruises and abrasions, and torn skin on his body, arms and legs. The indictment, drawn from the Office of Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen, further alleges the beating caused a serious concussion.

The severity of the charges is tied directly to the timing of the attack. Because the incident occurred during an emergency declared by Gov. Josh Green in response to the Kona-low storm, robbery rises to first-degree under Hawaii law. First-degree robbery is a Class A felony carrying up to 20 years in prison; first-degree assault is a Class B felony carrying up to 10 years. Prosecutors have also provided notice that they intend to seek an extended term of imprisonment, citing Madeyski as an offender against the elderly.

At Madeyski's initial court appearance, Deputy Public Defender Arthur Indiola asked Hilo District Judge Jeffrey Hawk to release Madeyski on supervised release, a cashless bail arrangement. Deputy Prosecutor Herbert Mukai objected. On Wednesday morning, prosecutors presented the case to a Hilo grand jury, which returned the indictment. On Thursday afternoon, Madeyski appeared in Hilo Circuit Court following service of the indictment warrant; the court set bail at $100,000 and scheduled a further proceedings hearing for June 25, 2026.

The charges are allegations, and Madeyski is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Anyone with information about the case can contact Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.