Authorities on Hawaii’s Big Island have arrested a man they described as “armed and extremely dangerous” after three men were found dead in separate locations within a span of two days.
According to Fox News, Jacob Baker, 36, of Pahoa, was taken into custody Thursday evening without incident following a massive manhunt involving local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, according to the Hawaiʻi Police Department.
Police said Baker is suspected in connection with three separate killings that shocked communities across the island this week.
The investigation began Monday when officers discovered the body of 69-year-old Robert Shine partially submerged in a cement pond. An autopsy later determined Shine died from strangulation.
Then, on Tuesday afternoon, authorities located the body of a 79-year-old man roughly 400 to 500 feet from the scene where Shine was found. Officials have not yet released the victim’s cause of death.
Hours later, on Tuesday evening, police found another victim, 69-year-old John Carse, about 19 miles away from the earlier scenes.
An autopsy determined Carse died from sharp force trauma, though officials said a final ruling remains pending toxicology results.
“These are a tragic series of events, and our thoughts are with those who are grieving at this time,” Hawaii Police Chief Reed Mahuna said during a Wednesday press conference.
“The Hawaii Police Department understands the fear and concerns incidents like this bring to our community,” he added.
Authorities have not publicly explained how Baker became a suspect or detailed the evidence investigators believe ties him to the deaths.
Police also have not announced a possible motive or confirmed whether the victims knew each other.
The killings came shortly after two women sought temporary restraining orders against Baker, accusing him of threatening and harassing them while staying at a farm property.
Court filings alleged Baker threatened to kill several women living there, causing some to leave the property. However, a judge denied both restraining order requests, ruling there was insufficient evidence of harassment.
Stephen Shaffer, a resident, told The Associated Press that Baker had been living on property owned by his ex-wife in the Puna area, where she operates a fruit farm.
According to Shaffer, Baker previously worked climbing coconut trees on the property before the relationship between the two deteriorated.
“He just seemed to me kind of angry,” Shaffer told The AP.
As the search intensified, authorities warned the public that Baker should be considered dangerous.
Chief Mahuna said law enforcement had committed “significant resources and personnel” to locating him.
Federal agencies assisting in the manhunt included the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, state sheriffs, and officers from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.
