Report of child abuse
complete

The case of a Big Isle girl is
classified as assault and
attempted murder

Big Island police have completed their investigation into the alleged abuse of a 10-year-old girl with festering head and body wounds in February and have forwarded their findings to prosecutors.

Lt. Randall Medeiros, head of the Hawaii County Police Department's Criminal Investigation Section, said the case is classified as attempted murder, first-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a minor. It was forwarded to the county prosecutor's office on Thursday, he said.

Police have not arrested anyone, and Medeiros would not identify any suspects.

Deputy Prosecutor Rick Damerville said he is reviewing the case's 1,000 pages and 16 hours of videotape.

Meanwhile, the girl, identified only as Alexis by neighbors, is in stable condition in a hospital, said Derek Dahilig, state Department of Human Services spokesman. Dahilig declined to say which hospital.

The department's Child Welfare Services took temporary foster custody of the girl after police determined she was probably the victim of child abuse.

County paramedics responding to a 911 call on Feb. 7 found the girl at a home in Puna's Ainaloa subdivision with a cut on her head, puncture wounds in her cheeks, eyes swollen shut, part of her upper lip missing and other injuries on her body.

Alexis was flown to Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children on Oahu in extremely critical condition. She was in a coma for six weeks.

The girl's caretaker, Hyacinth Poouahi, who made the 911 call, has said Alexis' wounds were self-inflicted.

A neighbor said Poouahi's children and husband routinely hit Alexis.

Police later searched Poouahi's home. According to an affidavit they submitted in support of the search warrant, police said the girl had bedsores, apparent burn marks and signs that she had been tied up.