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Makaha man shot near airport was awaiting sentencing for sex assault

COURTESY HAWAII CRIMINAL JUSTICE DATA CENTER

Carlos Lopes-Salas Jr.

A 24-year-old Makaha man shot by a police officer near the airport last week was awaiting sentencing in felony sexual assault and robbery cases and has been charged in the latest incident.

Carlos Lopes-Salas Jr. has 18 prior arrests and was awaiting sentencing on April 8 for felony sexual assault and a robbery, police said. He pleaded guilty to both cases in January.

According to court documents, Lopes-Salas sexually assaulted a 41-year-old woman when he was 20 years old in 2011 and robbed his ex-girlfriend in May 2014.

In the robbery case, Lopes-Salas threatened to file papers to take custody of his 3-year-old son away from his ex-girlfriend if she refused to meet him at Ala Moana Center, according to court documents.

When the woman met him that afternoon, Lopes-Salas threatened her, then reached into her bag, stole $600 and walked away. The woman later told police Lopes-Salas forced her to withdraw $700 from a bank a month earlier.

Lopes-Salas was shot at around noon Wednesday at Pacific Marina Inn after police said he raised a stolen semi-automatic pistol while officers were trying to arrest him for investigation of a burglary.

Police said Lopes-Salas was wanted for a recent home burglary and that officers went to the hotel after getting a tip that he was there. Officers saw Lopes-Salas walking down the stairs, but he fled when officers approached. At some point, an officer fired his weapon when Lopes-Salas raised the gun, police said.

One officer fired two shots, hitting Lopes-Salas once, police said. Police did not say where he was injured.

Lopes-Salas was taken to the hospital and was in serious condition Wednesday, police said.

He was charged Friday with first-degree terroristic threatening and three firearm offenses. His bail was set at $250,000.

Police had originally arrested Lopes-Salas on Wednesday for investigation of first-degree attempted murder, but the case was later reclassified to terroristic threatening.

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