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Bail kept at $250,000 for man charged with attempted murder

Jacobs

WAILUKU — Bail was kept at $250,000 for a Molokai man who was indicted on charges including attempted murder in connection with a shooting at a Kualapuu residence.

Ama Jacobs, 34, of Kualapuu, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted murder, prohibited possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm on a public highway, keeping a loaded firearm in an improper place, first-degree burglary, two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening and use of a firearm in the commission of a separate felony.

The shooting was reported the afternoon of March 26 at a residence on Farrington Avenue.

Witnesses told police that Jacobs arrived at the residence and fought with his ex-girlfriend on the shoulder of the road fronting the residence before trying to drag her into his car. Others intervened before she and another man went back into the residence.

Jacobs was seen retrieving a rifle from the trunk of his car and approaching the residence before a shot was fired through a living room window into the residence, according to police. Jacobs kicked open the front door and went into the house, where he and the man struggled in the hallway over the rifle before Jacobs fired the weapon again, witnesses told police. The man took the rifle outside and unloaded it before he and Jacobs fought and Jacobs took the rifle, got into his car and fled with his ex-girlfriend on a dirt road, police reported.

She was alone when she returned to the residence in his car at about 6 p.m., police reported.

Jacobs was arrested a couple of days later.

While awaiting a preliminary hearing, he was being held in lieu of $30,000 bail at the Maui Community Correctional Center before posting a bond to be released April 20, court records show. Police records show he again was arrested May 13 after being indicted by a Maui County grand jury.

During a hearing Wednesday in 2nd Circuit Court, defense attorney Gerald Johnson asked for Jacobs to be released again.

Deputy Prosecutor Mike Kagami asked for bail to remain at $250,000. He said a bail study documented Jacobs’ “history of not complying with court orders, an inability to be law-abiding and a history of violent behavior.”

When he was arrested in the case, Jacobs was on probation in three felony cases, including two involving the same ex-girlfriend in his latest case, Kagami said. He said the earlier cases involved felony abuse and second-degree assault of the victim.

“This case represents an escalation of violence towards that victim,” Kagami said. “It involves Mr. Jacobs shooting at the victim.”

Judge Blaine Kobayashi kept bail at $250,000.

Jacobs has been ordered to have no contact with the victims and to stay away from the residence.

According to the indictment, Jacobs could face mandatory minimum sentencing as a repeat offender based on prior convictions for felony abuse, second-degree assault, prohibited possession of a firearm and keeping a loaded firearm in an improper place.

* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.

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