HONOLULU(KHON2) — It was a brutal crime that gained international attention–a couple visiting from Japan attacked in a park bathroom. The suspect, Isea Taumoepeau, was arrested and found guilty of assault and sentenced to probation. Now he’s wanted for violating the terms of that probation.

Crime Stoppers Sgt. Chris Kim said there is a $20,000 warrant out for Taumoepeau’s arrest.

“On May 28, 2018 at approximately 10:45 a.m. the victim, who is a visitor from Japan, was walking in the Kakaako area with his family. The victim’s wife needed to use the restroom so the victim proceeded to locate one inside the Mother Waldron Park. When the victim went inside the restroom to check on it for his wife, he was brutally assaulted, and knocked unconscious,” Kim explained.

The victim’s wife was also attacked.

Taumoepeau was arrested, pleaded no contest, and placed on HOPE probation.

“Our agency worked with the Japanese visitors who were assaulted several years ago. It was a horrible case,” Jessica Lani Rich said. Rich is the president of VASH, the Visitors Aloha Society of Hawaii.

“I’m disappointed that he’s out of prison and on the loose cause I fear that, with his history, there could be other people that could possibly be assaulted or attacked.”

That is exactly what happened.

There was a motion to revoke Taumoepeau’s probation and he was arrested for that in August 2019. He received a 30 day jail sanction for the violation of probation at that time.

On April 26, 2020, records show he was arrested again and charged with third degree assault.

Sources said the attack took place at the Habilitat Long Term Addiction Treatment Center where Taumoepeau was staying under the terms of his probation.

Sources said the man who was assaulted is undergoing reconstructive surgery for his injuries.

But 10 days after the assault, the charges were dropped.

Court documents said the “case may be connected to felony offenses.”

Steven Alm, former judge and U.S. attorney said prosecutors may want to charge him with felony assault.

“In which case they need more evidence, have to get more interviews. So they may follow this up because if he was charged with misdemeanor assault and went in and plead guilty to that, that would preclude them from proceeding on the more serious charges.”

But why was Taumoepeau released after being arrested?

According to court documents, prosecutors hadn’t filed documents to revoke Taumoepeau’s probation so the judge released him.

“Like anybody else, people on probation, as citizens of the U.S., (the assault is) an allegation. At the beginning, nothing has been proven, he’s presumed innocent,” Alm explained.

If you have any information about this case, call Crime Stoppers at 955-8300.