(BIVN) – 25-year-old Gilberto D. Escobar of Hilo has been indicted by a Hilo grand jury in connection with a February 2025 homicide.
On Friday, Escobar appeared in Hilo Circuit Court for arraignment on charges of Murder in the Second Degree (intentionally or knowingly cause the death of another person), Carrying or Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Separate Felony, Ownership or Possession of Firearm Prohibited, and Ownership or Possession of Ammunition Prohibited.
Bail for Escobar was maintained at $3 million, and a hearing to assign defense counsel was scheduled for August 12, 2026.
The victim, 36-year-old Brandon Castillias, died on February 19, 2025 after a single gunshot wound to his abdomen. Responding to the report of a gunshot, Hawaiʻi Police Department patrol officers found the deceased Castillas on a Maunakai Street roadway fronting a residence.
In April 2026, prosecutors announced the arrest of Escobar for attempted murder and other offenses following a violent incident at a Maile Street apartment.
Police reported Escobar on April 3rd “entered the Maile Street apartment without permission, punched a 25-year-old male in the mouth before placing him into a rear-naked choke. Escobar threatened and attempted to stab the same male with a kitchen knife and chased him into the parking lot where bystanders later intervened. Before leaving the scene, Escobar forcefully shoved a 62-year-old female to the ground.”
Escobar was located and arrested by officers at a Waikoloa residence on April 7, 2026.
Hawaiʻi County Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen says Murder in the Second Degree carries a penalty of life in prison with the possibility of parole. Carrying or Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Separate Felony is a class A felony and carries a penalty of a twenty-year prison term.
