Full Notification

Hawaiʻ1 Police Department                  
Puna District, Area I                                                                            
Major Samuel Jelsma                                         
Phone: (808)  961-2341
Report No. 18-024461

Eric J. Ragragola

Media Release (Update)

Hawaiʻi Island Police have charged a 48-year-old Puna man in connection with the incident which prompted the response of the Special Response Team to Fern Acres Subdivision on Tuesday morning, (December 11).

Police charged Eric J. Ragragola at 8:00 p.m. last night, (December 12), with the offenses of first-degree Terroristic Threatening, Abuse of Family or Household Member, first-degree Sexual Assault, Kidnapping, and Ownership/Possession Prohibited. 

Ragragola is being held in lieu of $140,000 bail pending his initial court appearance in South Hilo District Court scheduled for this afternoon, (December 13). 

Patrol and the Special Response Team responded to the Fern Acres Subdivision in Puna on Tuesday morning on a report of a male party with a rifle who threatened a female victim during a domestic dispute, refusing to allow her to leave the property.

Upon the approach of the Special Response Team, the suspect surrendered, and subsequent service of a search warrant on the property resulted in the recovery of an AR-15 type rifle and ammunition. 

Police ask anyone with any information about this incident to call the Police Departments non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311 or contact Detective Tuckloy Aurello at (808) 961-2385.