Man wanted in 3 homicides in 48 hours arrested in Hawaii after massive search
A man suspected of killing three people over two days, sparking a massive search, has been arrested, police in Hawaii announced Thursday.
Jacob "Jake" Daniel Baker, 36, of Pāhoa, Hawaii, was apprehended and arrested without incident at about 2:45 p.m. local time, police said in a social media post.
In a press conference, authorities said Baker was found in a small cave after a resident reported seeing him in the neighborhood.
Police said he was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, first-degree burglary and several other offenses.
Baker was considered "armed and extremely dangerous," police said earlier.
"Over the past 48 hours, our island has experienced three separate homicides in the Puna district, all of which we believe are connected and involve a single suspect," Hawai'i Island Police Chief Reed Mahuna said at a news conference earlier. Hawai'i Island is also known as the Big Island.
"We have mobilized significant resources and personnel to address this situation swiftly and thoroughly," the chief said. "Bringing this suspect into custody without anyone further being harmed is the No. 1 priority."
The first death was discovered Monday evening, when an officer responded to a home in Pāhoa and found a 69-year-old man partially submerged inside a cement pond, police said. The victim, Robert Shine, had been strangled to death, police said, noting that the pathologist’s final ruling is pending standard toxicology results.
On Tuesday afternoon, officers responded to a home just 400 to 500 feet away from the first victim and found a 79-year-old man dead from apparent blunt force trauma, police said. The victim's name has not been released pending next-of-kin notification, police said Thursday.
On Tuesday night, the third victim -- 69-year-old John Carse -- was found dead about 19 miles away from the first two locations, police said. An autopsy found he died as a result of sharp force trauma, though the pathologist’s final ruling is also pending toxicology results, police said.
No motive is known, police said. There's no known connection between the victims besides the first two living near each other, police added.
"These are a tragic series of events and our thoughts are with those who are grieving," the chief said.
Shine's daughter, Anon Shine, told ABC News, "My dad was a very community-minded person who was a fixture of the Puna community."
In his rural farming neighborhood, residents live off the land and value "community over money or status," she said.
Shine said her "warm-hearted" dad "was a community organizer and just such a giving man."
Federal and state resources helped in the search for Baker, police said.
A woman filed a petition for a temporary restraining order against Baker last week. According to court documents, she wrote, "Jacob Baker has threatened my life, the life of a disabled man[,] three people currently living on the farm[,] multiple threats in the past … 3 people are not comfortable in their homes."
ABC News' Jack Moore contributed to this report.
