The Hawaiʻi Department of Law Enforcement is investigating an illegal hunting incident after a West Oʻahu ranch owner reported a group of people hunting on private land on July 25, according to a news release.
The ranch owner told investigators that they heard what sounded like gunshots in the area where the hunters were located.
Investigators detained a 24-year-old man, a 19-year-old man, a 20-year-old woman and a 17-year-old girl. The 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of prohibited hunting on private lands without the permission of the landowner. Charges or an indictment have not yet been filed, according to the latest information from the Department of Law Enforcement.
Gov. Josh Green signed Senate Bill 1249 into a law called Duke’s Law in June 2025 to establish a two-year agricultural enforcement pilot program and strengthen laws regarding agricultural crimes. The law was named after 39-year-old Cranston “Duke” Pia was fatally shot in a confrontation with an intruder on his Mākaha ranch in February 2024.
According to DLE Deputy Director Ernest Robello, the July 25 arrest is believed to be the first felony arrest on Oʻahu made under Duke’s Law. DLE cited two people for violating hunting statutes on Oʻahu and executed a search warrant in a livestock theft investigation under Duke’s Law, according to a report to the Legislature.
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Haley Lehman can be reached at haley@alohastatedaily.com.
