Overview
- The melee near the Kaanapali Alii pool involved about 30 people on Friday, July 17, and seven visitors from California reported being assaulted with 10 to 15 people remaining when police arrived.
- Family members say attackers used the phrase “haole boys,” a Hawaiian term for white outsiders, and they are pressing authorities to treat the case as a hate crime.
- Victims suffered blunt-force injuries after guests say patio chairs were used as weapons and one relative required 13 staples to close a head wound.
- Maui police arrested a 20-year-old Makawao man on suspicion of assault and later released him while detectives continue interviewing witnesses and reviewing evidence, and resort management says it is cooperating with investigators.
- The investigation’s next steps are prosecutorial review and possible charge decisions, and the episode has left injured visitors with ongoing medical needs and raised fresh concerns about guest safety at popular Maui tourist sites.