Alleged Maui shooter faces federal charges

A 47-year-old Kahului man made his first federal court appearance Tuesday after being arrested in connection with a series of improvised explosive devices found on Maui, one of which exploded and damaged a sport utility vehicle.

Robert Francis Dumaran, 47, of Kahului, was arrested on a federal warrant Saturday and appeared before Magistrate Judge Kenneth J. Mansfield.

“The Maui Police Department, in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney’s Office, continues to actively investigate these incidents. This joint effort underscores our shared commitment to justice and the safety of our community,” said Maui Police Chief John Pelletier.

According to an MPD press release, the investigation is still ongoing and no details can be released.

“Our primary goal is to ensure that all parties involved are identified and that justice is served. We appreciate the community’s cooperation in respecting the ongoing process and avoiding speculation,” the statement continued.

Dumaran was charged Saturday with possession of an unregistered destructive device and attempted criminal damage to property by explosives affecting interstate commerce.

Cellphone data collected from cell towers, fingerprints found on an unexploded device and a search conducted by Maui police in January 2022 in connection with an investigation into illegal fireworks and drugs led officers to Dumaran.

The text message Dumaran allegedly sent revealed his destructive intentions.

According to the complaint, on Aug. 6 at approximately 12:17 a.m., a text message was received from Dumaran’s cellphone that read, “I think I need to set off some explosions… to make me feel better.”

A minute later, a third person responded, saying, “What, are you going to set off a grenade?” on the phone Dumaran was allegedly using.

He reportedly replied at 12:21: “Neva hasn’t found its target yet…”

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 27. Mansfield ordered Dumaran held without bail.

According to an affidavit written by an FBI agent assigned to the Joint Counterterrorism Task Force, on July 23, MPD officers encountered an improvised explosive device near Lono Avenue in Kahului on the road next to Kahului Elementary School.

“The IED contained explosive powder, a battery, and shrapnel. Dumaran’s fingerprints were recovered from the packing tape used to construct the IED,” according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “If charged and convicted of the offenses charged, the defendant faces up to 10 years in prison for the unregistered destructive device charge, and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and up to 20 years for the explosives charge.”

Maui police found detonated IEDs near Kaamana Street in Kula on Wednesday. Officers and FBI agents responded to an IED explosion that damaged a white Kia SUV Thursday evening on Old Haleakala Highway near Aeloa Road in Pukalani.

“The complaint does not charge Dumaran with any of these incidents,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

On Wednesday, another explosive device attached to a protective barrier made of pipe detonated in Kula. According to witnesses, “it caused significant damage to the barrier and the surrounding area.”

“Once the explosive devices were secured, MPD personnel sent them to the FBI lab for analysis. FBI personnel trained in explosives analysis determined that the explosive devices were firearms containing explosive and incendiary materials designed to cause, and capable of causing, destruction through the force of an explosion,” the agent wrote.

A witness told Maui police and FBI agents that on Thursday night they saw “a flash like lightning and felt the ground shake like an earthquake.”

“A witness reported seeing a white Kia Sportage struck by concrete while traveling down the road; the concrete appeared to be from an explosion. The witness reported that the Kia Sportage appeared to be floating off the ground,” according to the affidavit.

The SUV’s windows were shattered and the driver’s side was punctured and damaged by shrapnel.

MPD and the FBI determined that “a significant amount of high-explosive material caused a nearby concrete container to explode” as a Kia Sportage drove by.

MPD police obtained Dumaran’s fingerprints after neighbors’ complaints about illegal fireworks prompted them to obtain a warrant to search his home in January 2022.

During the search, MPD officers allegedly found “fireworks, ammunition, controlled substances and items that could be used to construct explosive devices.”

Dumaran’s alleged bombings began with the crime he was accused of.

On July 23, Wailuku patrol officers encountered an IED on Lono Avenue near Kahului Elementary School. Within minutes, officers closed Lono Avenue between Hina Avenue and Laau Street and evacuated nearby residents. The device was secured and sent to the FBI lab for analysis.

On August 7, MPD officers encountered multiple explosive devices near Kaamana Street in Kula. The following night, the explosive devices blew away an SUV.

On Friday, officers closed multiple roads in Wailuku and evacuated nearby homes as a precaution due to leads in the investigation.

Dumaran was arrested the next day on a federal arrest warrant for an explosive device secured on July 23.

Dumaran has 30 state convictions on his record, including a felony for promoting dangerous drugs and misdemeanors for making terroristic threats and domestic violence.

He has two cases pending in state court. In August 2021, Dumaran was indicted by a Maui grand jury on two drug offenses and one weapons possession charge.

In November 2020, Dumaran was charged with 14 counts in connection with numerous drug offences.