Authorities said a Hawaiian man was arrested Tuesday after his fingerprints were found on tape used to secure explosives found near an elementary school.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii announced that Robert Francis Dumaran, 47, of Kahului, Maui, was arrested and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth J. Mansfield in U.S. District Court on charges of possession of an unregistered destructive device and conspiracy to commit property damage with explosives.
According to a criminal complaint, on July 23, 2024, Maui Police Department (MPD) officers encountered an improvised explosive device (IED) near Lono Avenue in Kahului.
The explosives were found on the road near Kahului Elementary School and contained explosive powder, batteries and shrapnel.
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Maui police responded to Lono Street in Kahului and found the explosives. (Maui Police Department)
An investigation revealed that Dumaran’s fingerprints were on the packing tape used to make the IED.
If convicted, Dumaran faces up to 10 years in prison for possession of an unregistered destructive device and a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison for possession of explosives.
Dumaran has not been charged with any additional crimes, but the affidavit cites an IED explosion near Kaamana Street in Kula on Aug. 7 and an IED explosion that damaged a vehicle in Pukalani on Aug. 8.
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Maui police responded to Lono Street in Kahului and found the explosives. (Maui Police Department)
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 27, and Dumaran was ordered held without bail.
The investigation into this matter is ongoing.
Dumaran’s arrest comes just days after the Aug. 8 explosion on Old Haleakala Highway. The blast was caused by a 7-inch by 4-inch cylindrical improvised explosive device (IED) left in a trash can, striking a passing vehicle and sending the driver to the hospital.
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An eyewitness provided a photo of an SUV that was hit by an IED in Hawaii last week. (Jess Weatherholt)
“I saw a flash in the sky and I thought lightning was going to strike,” witness Jessica Weatherholt told local station KITV. “I heard the loudest explosion I’ve ever heard in my life. It sounded like an attack. It sounded like someone was dropping bombs.”
Authorities said the FBI and MPD identified and removed multiple IEDs from trash bins and secluded locations along the road between Kahului and Kula. The items, of various shapes and sizes, have been safely secured.
The investigation, conducted by the FBI and MPD, involved forensic analysis to determine how the explosive device was set to detonate.
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The FBI said the IED appeared to be a small improvised basket and that investigators were working to find the culprit.
Anyone with information about suspicious activity before or after last week’s IED explosion is asked to contact MPD or the FBI.
Fox News Digital’s Pilar Arias contributed to this report.
