Man held on $500,000 bail following harrowing incident; visitor couple tells police of carjacking in remote area of Haleakalā

A 35-year-old suspect is being held on $500,000 bail following a harrowing incident reported by a California couple who told police they were carjacked on a remote section of the Piʻilani Highway, and fled for their lives on foot to the summit of Haleakalā.

The incident reportedly occurred at around 7 p.m. on June 4 when the couple—a 29-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man—was driving on Piʻilani Highway in the vicinity of mile markers 28-38, returning to Kīhei from Hāna while operating a rented Ford Mustang.  While driving, police said the couple was followed by a Toyota Tacoma with its headlights off, which they allowed to pass them.  Shortly after, the Tacoma reportedly came to a stop on the roadway, and the male driver exited, pointed a gun at the victims, and told them to get out of their car and start walking, according to police

The alleged offender drove off with the stolen Mustang, and the couple began to walk but then hid behind bushes and boulders on the side of the road. Then they noticed the Mustang had started driving back toward them.  The man reportedly returned to the area, calling out to the victims and asking them if they wanted the car back, according to police reports. 

“He continued calling out and looking for the victims, during which time he fired at least one shot with the pistol, causing the couple to believe he was shooting at them.  Additional people arrived in the area, with the victims believing that these people were helping to look for them, including using a drone,” according to Maui police.

The couple later came out from hiding and began hiking towards the summit area of Haleakalā.  Eventually, nearly 24 hours later, before reaching the summit, the couple was helped by a group of hikers and park rangers to get to the visitor’s center, police said.

Further investigation later identified the responsible man as 35-year-old Christopher Helmer.

A task force consisting of Maui police personnel from the Vice, Special Response Team, Patrol, and Criminal Investigation Division units conducted an operation to locate and arrest Helmer between June 6-8, 2024.  On June 8, 2024, shortly before 3 p.m., Helmer was located and arrested without incident.

At the time of his arrest, Helmer was operating the stolen Mustang and had a loaded firearm, according to police.  Following his arrest, police said further investigation resulted in the recovery of additional evidence linking him to the robbery and the recovery of the Tacoma, which was found to be a stolen vehicle.

On June 21, 2024, Helmer was indicted by a Maui County grand jury for the following offenses:

• Robbery in the First Degree
• Unauthorized Control of a Propelled Vehicle in the First Degree
• Carrying or Use of a Firearm in Commission of a Separate Felony
• Ownership/Possession Prohibited
• Place to Keep Pistol
• Carrying or Possessing a Loaded Firearm on a Public Highway
• Alteration of Identification Marks
• Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the Third Degree

He remained in custody at last report on Thursday afternoon.

Currently, the involvement of other individuals and the use of a drone to look for the victims has not been confirmed or verified, but the investigation into this aspect, as well as the involvement of other individuals, remains active and ongoing.

“We thank the community for their valuable support and cooperation throughout this investigation,” police said in a statement.  “We want to reassure our residents and visitors that they can take comfort in knowing that this individual is no longer a threat to public safety.  Safeguarding the well-being of our citizens and visitors remains our paramount concern, and we will persist in our efforts to ensure their security,” police said.