Kailua-Kona pier attack leads to sexual assault, robbery charges

A late-night attack at Kailua-Kona Pier has become a serious criminal case, with police saying a sleeping couple was confronted, robbed and pulled into a violent struggle that included a knife, forced movement into the ocean and an alleged sexual assault.

Hawaii Island police said officers were called to the pier at 10:58 p.m. Monday, June 1, after a man and woman reported they had been sleeping there when Arley Alokoa, 23, of Kailua-Kona, and a juvenile male attacked them. The woman told investigators she woke up to find the adult suspect having sexual contact with her without consent. The man reported that a fight followed, during which he was assaulted, forced into the ocean and cut with a knife. Police said the knife may have been taken from the victims’ backpack.

Investigators said the backpack was stolen before the suspects fled in a vehicle believed to have been driven by a third person. Officers later found two people matching the suspects’ descriptions in a parking lot in the 75-900 block of Henry Street and arrested them at 11:43 p.m. Police charged Alokoa with second-degree sexual assault, first-degree robbery, second-degree assault, third-degree assault and fourth-degree theft. His total bail was set at $61,500. The juvenile was charged Tuesday with first-degree robbery, second-degree assault and fourth-degree theft and was taken to Family Court for an initial appearance.

The case is drawing attention well beyond the arrest itself because the pier is a heavily used public waterfront space in Kailua-Kona. Hawaii County shoreline planning materials describe Kailua Bay and Pier as a state site used for fishing and swimming, and county materials list Kailua Pier restrooms as open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. The location has also been part of an earlier debate over safety and overnight use, including a 2021 proposal to close the pier from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. to address homelessness and illegal activity.

That broader backdrop matters as county and state officials continue to expand responses to homelessness in West Hawaii. In September 2025, construction began on the Kukuiola Emergency Shelter and Assessment Center in Kailua-Kona, which is designed to include 16 emergency shelter units, a manager’s unit, a 2,000-square-foot assessment center, showers, a community room, office space and overnight parking for some unsheltered people. In May 2026, Hawaii County also issued a request for proposals for an emergency cot-sleeping program in West Hawaii. Police said the investigation remains open, and anyone with information is asked to contact Officer Christopher Ross of the Area II Juvenile Aid Section at 808-326-4646, ext. 302, or Christopher.Ross@hawaiipolice.gov.