Hawaiian Man Arrested After Fingerprints Found on Tape Holding Homemade Bomb: Authorities

Hawaiian man arrested after his fingerprints were found on tape holding together a homemade bomb, authorities report. Learn more here

A 47-year-old Hawaiian man, Robert Francis Dumaran of Kahului, Maui, was arrested after his fingerprints were allegedly found on tape used to construct an improvised explosive device (IED) discovered near an elementary school.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii announced that Dumaran appeared in U.S. District Court on charges of possessing an unregistered destructive device and attempting to damage property with explosives.

 

On July 23, 2024, Maui Police Department officers encountered the IED near Lono Avenue in Kahului, close to Kahului Elementary School. The device contained explosive powder, a battery, and shrapnel. During the investigation, Dumaran's fingerprints were found on the packing tape used to assemble the device.

 

Dumaran faces severe legal consequences if convicted, including up to 10 years in prison for possessing the unregistered device and a minimum of five years to a maximum of 20 years for the explosives charge. Though Dumaran has not been charged with other crimes, the affidavit mentions other recent incidents involving IEDs, including detonations near Kaamana Street in Kula on August 7 and an explosion that damaged a vehicle in Pukalani on August 8.

 

Dumaran's arrest came shortly after an August 8 explosion on Old Haleakala Highway, where a cylinder-shaped IED left in a trash receptacle struck a passing vehicle, sending the driver to the hospital. Witnesses described the explosion as extremely loud and alarming, likening it to a bomb attack.

 

The FBI and Maui Police Department have been actively investigating these incidents, identifying and safely collecting several IEDs from trash receptacles and roadways between Kahului and Kula. The devices varied in shape and size, and authorities are working to determine the methods used to configure and detonate them. Dumaran was ordered to be held without bond, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 27.

 

Authorities urge anyone with information about suspicious activity related to these IED incidents to contact the Maui Police Department or the FBI. The investigation remains ongoing.