2 accused of killing Hawaii man, encasing body in concrete arrested

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow/Gray News) - The two murder suspects wanted following a gruesome discovery at a home in an affluent gated community in Hawaii have been arrested in California.

Scott Hannon, 34, and Juan Tejedor Baron, 23, were captured Wednesday. They hadn’t been seen since early Tuesday, according to Hawaii News Now.

U.S. Marshals assisting the Honolulu Police Department were able to track the suspects and determined they had fled Oahu to Los Angeles. Baron was arrested in Anaheim, allegedly trying to flee to Mexico. Officials said he was found hiding in a crawl space under an enclosed bench at the rear of a bus. Meanwhile, Hannon was arrested in Inglewood.

Both suspects were booked by the Los Angeles Police Department with charges pending.

Honolulu police say the elderly victim was found encased in concrete in a bathtub inside a home in the gated community of Hawaii Loa Ridge.

The two suspects were actually questioned by police Monday night, but then released ― before authorities discovered the body in the home. They were described as non-residents, and authorities said they were last seen in the Waikiki neighborhood early Tuesday.

Hawaii News Now reports that officers gave the suspects a ride to Waikiki from the scene while detectives were investigating the crime. Sources say there wasn’t enough probable cause at that time to arrest or detain the men and police wanted their car, so officers shuttled them to Waikiki but did not assign the men plainclothes tail.

Lt. Deena Thoemmes, of the Honolulu Police Department Criminal Investigation Division, said Baron has a residence in Texas, and Hannon traveled with a passport but had a Massachusetts address.

Thoemmes said the victim is believed to be the 73-year-old owner of the Lelekepue Place property. His body was found in a standalone bathtub that had been filled with concrete. Coffee grounds were on top of the concrete, likely to hide the smell of decomposition.

“When we entered, we smelled coffee no doubt,” Thoemmes said. “The body was in the standalone tub and it was in a state of decomposition once we chipped away at the concrete mixture.”

Police also say the victim and younger suspect were in an intimate relationship.

Neighbors expressed shock Tuesday after hearing about the murder.

“I think it’s just absolutely terrible that that happened,” said Sydney Holst, a Hawaii Loa Ridge resident. “I mean, we’ve never had a serious crime like this happen before. We’ve heard of small robberies, but never something to this degree.”

Officers first responded to the home Monday morning for a welfare check in connection with a missing person’s case. At the scene, detectives met with Baron, who claimed to reside at the residence.

On Monday afternoon, Baron allowed police into the home, and officers saw the concrete-filled bathtub but did not see a body. The body was found the following day by homicide investigators.

Police said the victim’s brother had filed the missing person’s report. The two had not communicated since late January or early February, police said.

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