Two juveniles and a 19-year-old were released pending investigation after allegedly donning masks and robbing a 7-Eleven store in Kapolei at gunpoint early Sunday morning by threatening to shoot the 64-year-old cashier, according to law enforcement sources.
Bransen Nunes, 17, Aaron Langsi-Terry, 17, and Koden I. Pantaleon-Agustin, 19, were arrested Sunday on suspicion of first-degree robbery after they were allegedly found hiding in a room at the Hampton Inn by District 8 Crime Reduction Unit officers.
Nunes, Langsi-Terry and Pantaleon-Agustin were released pending investigation at 10:23 p.m. Sunday. If convicted of first-degree robbery, they face up to 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.
“The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney does not comment on matters that have not been charged,” according to a statement.
Nunes has two prior arrests for robbery and one prior arrest for first-degree terroristic threatening, and Langsi-Terry has no priors. Pantaleon-Agustin plead no contest plea March 7 in connection with the theft of about $250 worth of goods from Nordstrom in October.
Neither the boys nor the man have ever been convicted of a felony.
At about 1:35 a.m. Sunday at the 7-Eleven at 4969 Kapolei Parkway, two masked males armed with handguns walked into the store and threatened to shoot the cashier.
The robbers took cash from the registers and tobacco products from behind the counter before running into a white 2018 Nissan Sentra driven by another man.
The Nissan is registered to a woman whose relation to the suspects is part of the ongoing investigation.
Honolulu Police Department patrol officers responded to a 911 call for a robbery. A short time later, HPD put out an all-points bulletin with a description of the Nissan and the three suspects.
Patrol officers found the car in the Ka Makana Alii parking lot with the three suspects allegedly near the car. When they saw police, they allegedly ran into the Hampton Inn and boarded the elevators.
CRU officers responded and worked with hotel staff to determine what room the men were in. Hotel security went with CRU officers and knocked on the door. One of the men answered, and police quickly detained everyone in the room.
Investigators sealed the room and towed the Nissan while applying for a search warrant.
A search of the hotel room and Nissan allegedly turned up two handguns, ammunition, money from the 7-Eleven, tobacco products, and clothes that matched what the suspects allegedly wore during the robbery.
The three men were positively identified during a field lineup. They were booked at about 2:06 a.m. and later released pending investigation.
Public information released by HPD’s Criminal Investigation Division said that “two male suspects entered a Kapolei business armed with firearms and used the threat of force to take U.S. Currency and products. A third male was the getaway driver. District 8 CRU located the suspects nearby and they were positively identified. All three suspects were arrested for Robbery 1st.”
Waikiki bank robbery suspect captured
HPD officers arrested a 49-year-old man in connection with the robbery of a Bank of Hawaii branch in Waikiki at about 10 a.m. Saturday.
Vance Nguyen was arrested at 1044 Auahi St. at about 1:07 a.m. Sunday on suspicion of second-degree robbery. Nguyen allegedly handed a teller a note that said he had a gun and demanded money shortly after 10 a.m. Saturday.
He left on foot with an undisclosed amount of money, according to a police highlight.
