A 21-year-old woman charged with terroristic threatening allegedly yelled a racial slur at a 28-year-old woman before she struck her and her boyfriend with her sedan at a gas station in Nanakuli.
Paresse K. Lai of Nanakuli was charged with two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening and one count of failure to render aid after she allegedly struck the woman and a 30-year-old man in an attack Sunday. A 73-year-old woman who was exiting her car as Lai was allegedly leaving the scene also suffered injuries.
Lai is scheduled to appear at District Court today for her preliminary hearing. Her bail was set at $25,000.
At about 3 p.m. Sunday, police said the 28-year-old woman was standing next to her parked vehicle at a gas pump at the Hele gas station at 87-2070 Farrington Highway when a white sedan operated by Lai entered the gas station.
Police said Lai and her passenger started yelling and cursing at the victim. According to a court document, Lai also yelled a derogatory term at the woman, who is African-American.
Police said that when the victim entered and exited the store at the gas station, Lai continued to yell at her.
Lai stopped her vehicle in front of the 28-year-old woman’s and told her “you don’t belong on this island,” the court document said.
Police said the victim overheard Lai tell her passenger she wanted to run the victim over.
Lai then reversed her vehicle before she accelerated toward the victim and her boyfriend, striking the victim, causing her to roll onto the hood, the court document said. The sedan also struck her boyfriend’s leg. The victim’s boyfriend was standing next to the victim when Lai allegedly drove into them.
Police said the 28-year-old woman suffered pain to her chest and stomach.
As Lai allegedly attempted to flee, she reversed her car into a parked vehicle as a 73-year-old woman was stepping out of the car. Police said the impact caused the parked vehicle to move several feet, pinning the elderly woman’s legs between the curb and her vehicle.
Lai then allegedly fled the scene.
Emergency Medical Services transported the 73-year-old woman and 28-year-old woman to Pali Momi Medical Center, where they were treated for their injuries.
Shortly after 5 p.m., police said Lai turned herself in at the Waianae police station.
