Waimea Man Accused of Sexually Assaulting a Minor

What Happened

A Hilo grand jury has indicted 27-year-old Israel Antonio Rios, a Waimea man, for allegedly sexually assaulting a girl during a four-year period ending in October 2022. The eight-count indictment charges Rios with two counts of continuous sexual assault of a minor under 14 and six counts of first-degree sexual assault, all Class A felonies punishable by up to 20 years in prison. A bench warrant set bail at $2.8 million, and Rios was arrested Monday morning. During his initial court appearance, Deputy Public Defender Belinda Castillo-Hughes cited a conflict of interest and stated her office cannot defend him, prompting the judge to order Rios to return for legal counsel and a plea. Rios previously pleaded not guilty to four domestic abuse charges stemming from an August 21 incident, with a victim granted a three-year order for protection on September 8. On November 25, 2025, Rios entered a guilty plea to third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, receiving a conditional discharge with a four-year deferral, though prosecutors have moved to set aside that discharge and resentence him on the drug offense.

Why it matters

Rios faces up to 20 years in prison for the sexual assault charges, which occurred between September 2018 and October 2022. His prior guilty plea to drug-related charges in November 2025, which included a conditional discharge, has been challenged by prosecutors seeking to resentence him. The victim received a three-year order for protection in September 2022, but Rios remains in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center, unable to post $45,000 bail for prior domestic abuse charges. Prosecutors aim to revoke the conditional discharge and impose a stricter sentence on the drug offense, which could impact Rios’ legal status and future court appearances.

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