HONOLULU (AP) — A Hawaii man wanted in the killings of three men within two days in a rural area on the Big Island, where tropical landscapes mix with barren lava fields, had been accused of threatening and harassing behavior earlier this month by two women, according to court records.
Jacob Baker, 36, of Pahoa, Hawaii, was described by police as “armed and extremely dangerous,” and Hawaii Police Chief Reed Mahuna said authorities were deploying “significant resources and personnel” in trying to find him.
Authorities said they believe he is involved in the deaths of three men: a 69-year-old man found partially submerged in a cement pond, a 79-year-old man who was found just 400-500 feet ( (122 to 152 meters) away, and a third man, also 69, whose body was found about 19 miles (31 kilometers) away. The causes of death were not immediately disclosed.
“These are a tragic series of events and our thoughts are with those who are grieving at this time,” Mahuna said at a news conference Wednesday. “The Hawaii Police Department understands the fear and concerns incidents like this bring to our community.”
Authorities said they had not identified a motive but were confident Baker was involved in all three homicides. Mahuna did not release information on how police identified Baker as a suspect or what evidence may connect him to the killings. He said investigators had not identified any connections among the victims, other than two of them lived near each other.
Women accuse Baker of threats and harassment
The slayings happened just days after two women had requested temporary restraining orders against Baker, saying he had threatened and harassed them at a farm; one woman was staying there and the other co-owned it. A judge denied both applications, saying there was not enough proof of harassment provided.
One of the women claimed in her petition that Baker had threatened to kill several women who were staying on the property, and had caused a number of them to move or end their stays. She included a link to a video that allegedly captured at least one threat, but the link had either been removed or was incorrect as of Thursday.
The other woman alleged in her petition that Baker had threatened women and a disabled man, and said he would trespass on the property, take things that didn’t belong to him and say his intention was to squat on the property.
No attorney was listed for Baker, who had 20 other cases in the court record in the past two decades, many of them traffic infractions. There were also a handful of criminal or administrative citations including letting a dog wander, failure to appear in court and simple trespassing.
In most of those cases, Baker represented himself.
Three men found dead over two days
On Monday at around 8 p.m., police found a 69-year-old man at a residence partially submerged in a cement pond, Mahuna said. Police did not initially know whether foul play was involved, but preliminary autopsy results showed the death was a homicide, the chief said.
On Tuesday, the 79-year-old man was found dead with apparent blunt force injuries shortly after 12:30 p.m., Mahuna said.
Later Tuesday, at around 10 p.m., police responded to a property about 19 miles (31 kilometers) from the other two killings on a welfare check request and found a 69-year-old man dead with injuries, Mahuna said.
Mahuna said guns were not used.
Local resident says Baker seemed ‘kind of angry’
Stephen Shaffer said Baker had lived on his ex-wife's property in Puna, where they grow 50 kinds of fruit, and Baker climbed coconut trees for her. But after several months, he said, she sought a temporary restraining order against Baker. Shaffer said he didn't know details of their falling out, only that his ex-wife felt threatened by Baker and wanted him to move out.
“He just seemed to me, kind of angry,” said Shaffer, who lives on the same property as his ex but in a separate dwelling. He added that others who lived in the area were concerned about Baker, but Shaffer didn’t elaborate.
Shaffer said police have been by the property numerous times as they hunt for Baker; it's not immediately known where or when Baker was last seen on the island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island. The island is the largest in the Hawaiian chain at more than 4,000 square miles (10,360 square kilometers).
“There’s a lot of tension in the air here,” Shaffer said. "We’re still in shock, trying to figure this out.”
He added, "We’re being very vigilant. I know there’s a possibility he could come back this way.”
An account on Threads that appeared to belong to Baker had gone silent between mid-December and early May, when he began posting what appeared to be older content from months or even years before. Between May 4 and May 20, he posted more than 40 videos, many with him talking directly to the camera about various topics including harvesting coconuts. None appeared to threaten violence.
Puna, on the eastern side of the island, is a rural but fast-growing area known for affordable housing prices. It's also an area where lava flows have wiped out entire communities over the years. The landscape is lush and tropical mixed with barren lava fields.
Officials were asking the public to report any information about Baker and any suspicious activities in the areas of the homicides to police, and urged people not to approach Baker.
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Collins contributed from Hartford, Connecticut, and Lauer contributed from Philadelphia.
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