Hawaiian man arrested after his fingerprints were found on tape holding together homemade bomb: authorities

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A Hawaiian man was arrested Tuesday after his fingerprints were found on tape holding together an explosive device found near an elementary school, according to authorities.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii said 47-year-old Robert Francis Dumaran of Kahului, Maui, appeared in U.S. District Court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth J. Mansfield after his arrest on charges of possessing an unregistered destructive device and attempting to damage property with explosives.

A criminal complaint alleges that, on July 23, 2024, officers with the Maui Police Department (MPD) encountered an improvised explosive device (IED) near Lono Avenue in Kahului.

The device was located in the roadway near Kahului Elementary school and contained explosive powder, a battery and shrapnel.

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The Maui Police Department responded to Lono Avenue in Kahului and discovered an explosive. (Maui Police Department)

An investigation discovered Dumaran’s fingerprints were allegedly on the packing tape used to build the IED.

If convicted, Dumaran faces up to 10 years in prison for possessing an unregistered destructive device and a minimum of five years in prison and up to 20 years for the explosives charge.

While Dumaran has not been charged with additional crimes, the detonation of IEDs near Kaamana Street in Kula Aug. 7 and the explosion of an IED that damaged a vehicle in Pukalani Aug. 8 were mentioned in the affidavit.

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The Maui Police Department responded to Lono Avenue in Kahului and discovered an explosive. (Maui Police Department)

A preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 27, and Dumaran was ordered held without bond.

The investigation into the matter is ongoing.

Dumaran’s arrest comes just days after an Aug. 8 explosion on Old Haleakala Highway caused by a 7-inch by 4-inch cylinder-shaped improvised explosive device (IED) left in a trash receptacle that struck a passing vehicle and sent the driver to the hospital.

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A witness provided photos of the SUV that was hit by an IED in Hawaii last week. (Jess Weatherholt)

"I saw a flash in the sky, and I thought it was gonna be lightning," witness Jessica Weatherholt told local station KITV. "I heard the loudest explosion that I've ever heard in my entire life. It sounded like an attack. It sounded like somebody was dropping bombs."

Several IEDs had been identified and collected by the FBI and MPD from trash receptacles or other areas outside of plain view along roadways between Kahului and Kula, authorities said. The items vary in shape and size but have been rendered safe.

An investigation conducted by the FBI and MPD involved forensics to determine how the devices were configured to detonate.

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According to the FBI, the IEDs look like small, makeshift baskets, and investigators are working to find those responsible.

Anyone with information regarding suspicious activity before or after the IED exploded last week is encouraged to contact the MPD or FBI.

Fox News Digital’s Pilar Arias contributed to this report.