Judge Cuts Bail for Hilo Man Accused of Hitting Moving Tesla

A roadside clash on Kanoelehua Avenue has turned into a felony case in Hilo, after Judge Jeffrey Hawk cut bail for Reed Nakamura, 43, from $51,000 to $10,000 over objections from the Hawaii County prosecuting attorney.

Nakamura, a Hilo resident, appeared in Hilo District Court on May 4 after an incident around 8 p.m. on May 1 near Makalā Street. Prosecutors say he threw circular objects at a Tesla sedan traveling north, breaking the rear driver’s side window while a 28-year-old woman sat in the back seat. The passenger said she felt terrified as shattered glass flew into the vehicle.

The legal pivot is the moving car. Under Hawaii law, first-degree criminal property damage is not just about breaking something; it applies when a person intentionally or knowingly damages property and thereby recklessly places another person in danger of death or bodily injury. That charge is a class B felony. Nakamura also faces fourth-degree criminal property damage, which is a petty misdemeanor.

The probable cause statement and surveillance video reportedly tell the same story: Nakamura threw objects at the Tesla as the driver turned, the window shattered, and the passenger was left in the path of the glass. That sequence is what elevated the case from a frightening street encounter to a public-safety case with felony exposure.

The bail ruling came before the case moved into circuit court. Hawaii court rules allow a district court to admit a defendant to bail or modify bail before the written order committing the case to circuit court, and the Hawaii County prosecuting attorney objected before Hawk reduced the amount. Later that night, the prosecutor’s office filed a felony information charging document in 3rd Circuit Court, pushing the matter into the next stage of review.

The case now sits in Hilo’s 3rd Circuit Court system, where the facts will be tested further at a preliminary hearing. For Big Island residents, the case shows how quickly an alleged act of damage on a public road can become a felony matter when a moving vehicle and its occupants are put at risk.