Suspect charged in brazen assault of an elderly woman in Honolulu

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The suspect accused of knocking down an elderly woman in Honolulu has been charged.

Jordan Wong, 37, was charged with one count of second-degree assault on Wednesday. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.

According to Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm, if convicted they will be seeking the maximum prison sentence for Wong, with no probation.

“Those who prey upon our kupuna will be prosecuted to the maximum extent of the law,” Alm said.

The brazen assault was all caught on surveillance camera over the weekend.

Hawaii News Now first reported this story Monday night, and by Tuesday, Honolulu police said they had a suspect in custody.

The unnamed victim was walking along South Beretania Street in Honolulu on Saturday when Wong, wearing a blue shirt and a face mask, was walking in the opposite direction as he was seen violently pushing her down.

The woman fell to the ground, over the curb and lands in the shoulder of the road and hit her head.

It happened around 11:30 a.m. fronting Wong’s Drapery, and was all caught on surveillance cameras as the suspect brazenly walked away.

Laura Mosakaite works at Wong’s Drapery and witnessed the incident. She heard the woman’s cries for help and ran over.

“It’s horrible. I was shocked. I didn’t eat for the whole day,” Mosakaite said. “She’s so tiny and she was crying for a good 30 minutes. It was horrible, I was crying too.”

Mosakaite says the woman appeared to be in her mid 70′s to 80s, and though she walked away from the assault, she had bruises on her wrists from the fall and complained of back pain.

“It’s just sad especially the fact its an elderly woman,” Wong’s Drapery owner Mel Wong said.

His motive for the assault is puzzling.

“He didn’t go after the purse, he just knocked her down with his arm,” Mosakaite said.

“Totally unprovoked, shoves her into roadway. It could have ended badly. She could have been run over she could’ve been killed,” Sgt. Chris Kim of CrimeStoppers Honolulu said.

Prior to Wong’s arrest, authorities said it was a matter of time before he would be identified and caught.

“To the guy who did this, turn yourself in. You are gonna get caught without a doubt in my mind,” Kim said Monday night. “You are going to get identified. Turn yourself in. People of Hawaii are outraged when they see this.”

Kim says because it is a crime against an elderly individual, the 37-year-old could face harsher penalties.

“I believe he’ll do it again. He did it once,” Mel Wong added.

Aside from the bruises and back pain reported by the witness, the exact condition of the victim is unknown.

Wong is currently being held on $20,000 bail.

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