MCCC inmate assaulted and taken to hospital

A Maui Community Correctional Center inmate was taken to the hospital after he reportedly was assaulted by another inmate last month at the jail, according to the state Department of Public Safety.

Staff responded to the reported inmate-on-inmate assault Sept. 5, said Public Safety spokeswoman Toni Schwartz. She said a 51-year old male inmate was taken to the hospital for evaluation and treatment of injuries and returned to the facility Sept. 10.

Another inmate, Ronald Mendoza, 54, was arrested for the assault, Schwartz said. She said Mendoza is awaiting trial for abuse and third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug.

Schwartz said the Maui Police Department initiated a criminal investigation, while the Department of Public Safety is conducting an internal investigation.

The injured inmate was identified as Jeremy Sistar, a San Diego resident who was extradited to Maui to face charges of first-degree custodial interference and disobedience of public health emergency rules for allegedly abducting a teenage boy in violation of a custody order.

Sistar is being held at the Wailuku jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.

When Sistar didn’t appear for a hearing Tuesday in 2nd Circuit Court, Deputy Public Defender Zach Raidmae said “someone bashed his face in at the jail.”

“He was forced to go to the hospital,” Raidmae said.

After being taken back to the jail, Sistar was in quarantine there, Raidmae said.

He said a bail study was recommending that Sistar be released on supervision. He has family on Maui, Raidmae said.

A bail hearing for Sistar was delayed until Oct. 6.

According to police records, Mendoza was charged with first-degree assault after being arrested at 3:50 a.m. Sept. 5.