LIHU‘E – The County of Kaua‘i Office of the Prosecuting Attorney has yet to file any charges against the Kalaheo man, who critically injured two teenage girls in a hit-and-run incident in Po‘ipu more than four months ago.
The incident revolved around Noah Alejandro, who was driving a pickup truck at around 9:40 p.m. on July 8, when he allegedly struck two teenage visitors as they were crossing Po‘ipu Road, near the front of the Po‘ipu Beach Athletic Club.
Alejandro, who was 25 at the time, fled the scene and abandoned the vehicle in a hotel parking lot, the Kaua‘i Police Department (KPD) said.
He later turned himself in to the police hours later, at approximately 12:06 a.m. on July 9, when he was arrested on two counts of negligent injury in the first degree, being involved in an accident involving serious bodily injury, inattention to driving, reckless driving and operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant.
He was then released pending further investigation, the KPD said at the time.
However, court records currently show only two cases against Alejandro — traffic infractions from December 2016 and May 2017, respectively.
An employee with the County of Kaua‘i Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, who declined to state her name in a phone conversation with The Garden Island on Nov. 21, confirmed that prosecutors have not filed any charges against Alejandro at this time.
“This case is still under review, “ she said. “What it means to review is to see whether any charges will be brought forth or anything of that sort.”
The representative said there are a “few reasons why” no charges have been pressed yet, but didn’t state any specifics.
The court is required to dismiss charges upon motion of the defendant if trial is not commenced within six months “from the date of arrest if bail is set or from the filing of the charge,” according to Rule 48 of the Hawai‘i Rules of Penal Procedures.
Prosecutors may also file to dismiss the charge, with the consent of the defendant, according to the rule.
At the time of the incident, the KPD said the victims had been airlifted to Queen’s Medical Center on O‘ahu for further treatment. The department said both victims, who were 13 and 15 years old at the time, were in critical condition.
Officials with the department told The Garden Island they were unable to provide an update on whether the victims had recovered, as they are both minors.
“We are unable to release any information regarding juveniles as pursuant to (Hawai‘i Revised Statutes) 571-11,” said Amber Fernandez, a police records technician with the KPD in an email response.
Fernandez said the case had been forwarded to prosecutors on Nov. 6, 2023, but she didn’t provide any other information as to whether charges would be filed.
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Emma Grunwald, reporter, can be reached 808-652-0638 or egrunwald@thegardenisland.com.
