‘Everybody’s worried’: Suspect charged after man attacked in Wailuku armed robbery

WAILUKU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Business owners and employees in Wailuku are on edge after an armed robbery in broad daylight on Sunday.

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Surveillance video captured a man wearing a ski mask and dark-colored hoodie trying to purchase darts at an Eha Street business Sunday at about 2:30 p.m.

Douglas “DJ” Gomes Jr. said shortly after that, the man approached his father in the building’s upstairs bathroom.

“Confronted him with a gun and said, ‘Give me your money. Give me your phone, your wallet, your car keys,’” DJ said.

There are no cameras in the bathroom, but DJ said his father tried to disarm the suspect.

“He tried to grab the gun, and I think the individual pulled away and had slapped him or hit him over the head, and I think he stumbled,” DJ said.

DJ’s father gave the suspect $200 and told him he would get his phone and car keys from his office.

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Instead, Gomes Sr. quickly closed and locked his office door.

“I heard my dad yell, ‘DJ, are you still here?!’ And I was like, ‘Yes.’ And he’s like, ‘Call 911. I’ve just been robbed,’” DJ said.

Surveillance video captured the suspect fleeing on a bright orange moped.

Around 5 p.m. that evening, Maui police arrested Isaiah Hollingsworth, 23, on suspicion of robbery. He has since been charged by prosecutors.

Brandon Harima, who owns Aloha Gold Buyers in the same building, said the incident has put business owners and employees on alert.

“Everybody’s worried about somebody coming in and doing the same exact same thing,” Harima said.

DJ and Harima are encouraging fellow business owners and employees to remain vigilant.

“Just be aware of your surroundings and who’s around you,” DJ said.

“What I like about Maui is the fact that we’re such a tight-knit community, everybody knows everybody. So if something like that goes down, it’s process of elimination,” Harima said. “It’s just a matter of time before we find out exactly who it is.”

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Hollingsworth is due back in court Friday.