(BIVN) – A Mountain View man was arrested on Thursday and charged for an alleged machete attack on a family member the day before.

Hawaiʻi police say 44-year-old Dante F. Modaffari violently assaulted his brother on Wednesday morning, February 12, on Lehuanani Street in Volcano.

Modaffari was charged on Friday with first-degree assault and abuse of a family/household member.

From a Hawaiʻi Police Department news release:

The charges against Modaffari stem from an incident reported shortly before 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, when Puna patrol officers responded to a disturbance on the roadway fronting a residence in the Lehuanani subdivision involving a male party yelling for help.

Responding officers contacted the 42-year-old male victim, with significant bleeding from his arms due to multiple lacerations. While officers immediately provided the victim with medical aide, he stated that his brother, Modaffari, attacked him with a “machete” and fled the area on foot prior to officer’s arrival. Additional responding officers conducted checks in the surrounding area, however, Modaffari was unable to be located at that time.

The victim was transported via Hawai’i Fire Department ambulance to the Hilo Benioff Medical Center, where he underwent immediate surgery for his life-threatening injuries.

On Thursday morning, February 13, 2025, Puna patrol officers continued checks for Modaffari in the Lehuanani area and located him within a structure on a vacant property in the vicinity of the scene. Modaffari was arrested without incident.

Detectives with the Area I Juvenile Aid Section later served a search warrant on the scene where Modaffari was arrested and recovered potential evidence.

Modaffari remains in police custody pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, February 18, in Hilo District Court. His bail has been set at $55,000.

Police ask anyone who may have witnessed this incident to call Detective Richard Itliong of the Area I Juvenile Aid Section at (808) 961-2278, or via email at Richard.Itliong@hawaiicounty.gov.

Police say tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the Crime Stoppers number at (808) 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. “Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe,” police say. “Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.”