A violent brawl at a luxury resort on Maui has left a vacationing California family traumatized and calling for accountability after an unprovoked attack.
The Maui Police Department responded to the Kaanapali Alii resort in Lahaina following reports of a disorderly incident involving approximately 30 individuals around 10 p.m. on July 17th.
According to victims, a group of local youths confronted family members ranging in age from 17 to 62 near the pool and barbecue facilities. Family member Joseph Headfield told Hawaii News Now that three females confronted them, led by an aggressive ringleader.
“She got up in people’s faces,” Headfield recounted. The girl said: “We’re going to beat up your boys tonight. We’re going to beat up the haole boys.”
The family, whose vacation party spanned ages 11 to 85, was completely overwhelmed as the group began throwing pool chairs and physically assaulting guests. The confrontation resulted in multiple injuries, including an older family member who was struck by a flying chair and required 13 staples in his head at a local hospital.
“Particularly our cousin-in-law who got the 13 staples, they’re like, ‘Oh, we got the old man,’” said another family member. “So they were doing it intentionally. They were looking for trouble, did it on purpose, followed, picked out a group, I guess.”
Family members expressed deep frustration over the response from resort security and law enforcement, labeling the assault as a racially-motivated hate crime.
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Maui Police Department spokesperson Alana Pico confirmed officers arrived to find 10 to 15 individuals remaining on scene, several with visible injuries. Authorities arrested a 20-year-old Makawao man on suspicion of assault, though he was later released as detectives continue to review footage and gather evidence.
“We recognize the significant impact this incident has had on those involved and remain committed to conducting a thorough, fair, and impartial investigation,” Pico stated, adding that detectives are actively contacting involved parties.
Steven Rose, managing director for CoralTree Residence Collection, which operates Kaanapali Alii, released a statement confirming the resort is cooperating with law enforcement:
“The safety and well-being of our guests, residents, and team members remains our highest priority. We take incidents of this nature very seriously and are focused on supporting those impacted.”
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