HILO, Hawaii, May 29 (High Desert News Online) — Hawaii Island police arrested Jacob Baker, 36, of Pahoa, on Thursday after a search tied to three homicides in the Puna area of the Big Island, authorities and AP-based reports said.
Police had described Baker before his arrest as “armed and extremely dangerous” and warned the public not to approach him.
Baker was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, first-degree burglary and several other offenses, ABC News reported, citing police. No court filing, formal charge or defense attorney information was included in the available reports.
The three victims were men found dead Monday and Tuesday in the Puna area of the island of Hawaii, according to AP-based reports. They were described as two 69-year-old men and one 79-year-old man.
The Hawaii Police Department said in a Thursday media release listing that two of the three victims had been positively identified by noon. Fox News identified one victim as 69-year-old John Carse and reported that his body was found Tuesday evening about 19 miles from another scene.
Authorities said they believe Baker is connected to all three deaths. AP-based reports said police had not identified a motive.
Police Chief Reed Mahuna said officers received information Thursday afternoon that Baker was hiding in a grassy area and ducking down as traffic passed, according to AP-based reports. Police found him hiding in a small cave and arrested him without incident, the reports said.
Mahuna said before the arrest that law enforcement agencies were using “significant resources and personnel” to find Baker and that taking him into custody was the department’s “No. 1 priority.”
The search involved state and federal authorities. Fox News reported that assisting agencies included the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, state sheriffs and Department of Land and Natural Resources officers.
The Independent, citing Mahuna, reported that guns were not used in the killings.
