Prosecutors opt not to pursue charges in apparent road rage attack on elderly driver

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Prosecutors have opted not to pursue assault charges against a man accused of beating an elderly man in an apparent road rage attack on Oahu’s North Shore.

That’s even though home surveillance video shows the alleged assault.

Authorities said 28-year-old Daniel Reid Aikau was arrested for second-degree assault on Friday. But he was released without charges on Saturday afternoon.

In a statement, the city Prosecutor’s Office said it worked “closely with HPD on this matter and decided that there wasn’t enough evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.”

The situation has the victim’s family incensed.

“He could have died,” said Katarina Fonua, the victim’s daughter. “My dad is so fragile, he has heart problems and then they’re going to let this guy go and they have the video.”

“It was a malicious beating.”

Surveillance footage from a home in Laie Point shows the interaction between the victim and the suspect.

According to the video, the incident happened around 8 a.m. on July 19.

The video shows a dark car apparently making a sudden U-turn in front of a white truck on a narrow road, causing the truck to make an abrupt stop. Moments later, there was a verbal exchange.

“He was just saying, ‘hey, drive safe like don’t drive crazy,’” said Fonua, describing what her father told the suspect. “You know, what any other parent would do.”

The dark car then pulled over to the side of the road and the suspect can be seen getting out of his car, immediately walking over to the white truck. Within seconds, the video shows the 70-year-old man falling to the ground as the suspect appears to punch him repeatedly.

“Like really, you’re going to do that to an old man? He’s not even fighting you anymore, he’s just trying to get away from you,” said Fonua.

“That’s why I’m mad, that’s why I’m sad because he never stopped.”

Kela Miller, Lai’e Community Association vice president, said the video is “shocking and alarming and scary.”

“We go up there ourselves, and we go out there early in the morning or when it’s getting a little bit dark in the evening time,” she said. “So I’m really, really concerned.”

The video ends with the man fleeing the scene and the elderly man slowly getting back into his truck.

The victim’s daughter posted the surveillance footage on social media.

This story will be updated.

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