Prosecutors have charged two men after they allegedly sexually assaulted a 50-year-old homeless woman in Kalihi-Palama.
Jtery Stephen, 41, made his initial appearance before Judge Kristine Yoo at Honolulu District Court via videoconference Thursday on charges of four counts of first-degree sex assault and one count of kidnapping.
His aggregate bail is set at $100,000.
Stephen sat in the cellblock with his arms folded while Herfy Herwin, 34, charged with one count of first-degree sex assault and one count of kidnapping in the same case, stood next to Stephen during his initial appearance.
Herwin’s aggregate bail is set at $50,000.
The assault occurred on the corner of Dillingham Boulevard and Kaaahi Street at about 11 p.m. Monday.
Honolulu police said the two men approached the woman, “forcefully pushed” her into an abandoned bus and sexually assaulted her.
The men and the woman are not known to one another.
Police said the victim was taken to a medical facility for treatment.
Officers arrested the two men at 581 Dillingham Blvd. early Tuesday on suspicion of first-degree sex assault.
The bus is on commercial property at the Dillingham Boulevard address where a market and car wash service is also located.
Stephen has a criminal history dating back to 2008 that includes a felony conviction for unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle, two misdemeanour convictions for assault and resisting arrest, and eight petty misdemeanors for harassment, open lewdness, disorderly conduct and criminal property damage.
In the harassment case, court documents show Stephen was convicted of repeatedly touching a 25-year- old woman’s thigh while she and Stephen were on a city bus in January 2017. The woman, who didn’t know Stephen, told him to stop and leave her alone.
Honolulu police in court documents said the bus driver flagged down an officer who indicated Stephen appeared intoxicated at the time.
Stephen pleaded no contest to the harassment charge and was sentenced to five days in jail and six months of probation.
In August, Herwin was charged with third-degree assault after he allegedly assaulted another man in Makiki. Court records show the court granted him a conditional discharge after he pleaded no contest to the offense.
The court ordered him to abide by mandatory conditions that include not engaging in any criminal activity.