StarBulletin.com

Suspect is charged in death of store guard


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POSTED: Saturday, January 30, 2010

A 27-year-old man has been charged in an assault at DFS Galleria Waikiki involving a 46-year-old security officer who later died at the hospital.

Robert Baumann, of no local address, was charged with third-degree assault and was being held on $2,000 bail.

Police said that at about 9 a.m. Thursday, DFS security officers confronted Baumann in a theft case initiated the day before, and a struggle ensued.

Baumann assaulted one security guard, but after he was detained, a second security guard sat on a sofa to rest and became unresponsive, police said.

The guard, identified as Frank Rodrigues of Honolulu, was taken to the hospital in critical condition and later died.

A DFS spokeswoman said Rodrigues had worked for the company for 18 years.

Police are awaiting results of Rodrigues' autopsy.

The Honolulu Medical Examiner's Office performed an autopsy yesterday but deferred the cause of death, pending further investigation.