Hawaii Police Department Chief Reed Mahuna said during a Thursday afternoon press conference that tips from the public resulted in the apprehension of triple-homicide suspect Jacob Daniel Baker, the subject of a two-day multiagency manhunt involving county, state and federal law enforcers.

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Mahuna said the 36-year-old Baker of Pahoa was apprehended without incident “at approximately 2:38 p.m. in the Kaimu Cove, Kaimu-Kalapana area.”

Baker was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, first-degree unauthorized control of a stolen vehicle, first- and fourth-degree theft, fourth-degree property damage and first-degree unauthorized entry to a motor vehicle — although those may not be the offenses lodged when Baker is charged.

According to the chief, the tipsters told police Baker was “hiding in a grassy area in a field” in the Kalapana area and that he was observed by witnesses “ducking down as passing traffic approached.”

“Investigators subsequently obtained video surveillance footage that corroborated these observations,” Mahuna said. “The surveillance footage also captured the suspect fleeing from the initial property onto an adjacent property. Officers and detectives responded to the area and conducted a search, ultimately locating the suspect, concealed within a small cave on the neighboring property.”

Mayor Kimo Alameda called the killing spree, which resulted in the deaths of Robert “Bob” Shine and John Carse, both 69, and 79-year-old Chitta Morse as “very unsettling.”

“I couldn’t sleep at all last night — me and many others,” Alameda said. “And that’s why I extend my deepest gratitude to officers, investigators and all supporting agencies who have been working around the clock to find this suspect. This was truly all hands on deck.”

Providing assistance to HPD were the Honolulu and Kauai police departments, federal agencies — including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Office — and state Department of Law Enforcement sheriffs and state Department of Land and Natural Resources officers.

Mahuna said “coordination and support” between the partners “were critical throughout this operation.”

“Their willingness to respond, to share resources and to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us reflects the strength of our law enforcement ‘ohana across the state,” he said.

Regarding his own officers, Mahuna said he’s “impressed every single day with your dedication and your courage, and today is no exception.”

Shine’s body was found Monday evening at 8:47 p.m. after Puna patrol officers responded to a Papaya Farms Road residence for a report of a dead man. The body was reportedly found partially submersed in a rain catchment tank, and an autopsy found he was strangled to death.

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Morse’s body was found at 12:39 a.m. Tuesday with after police responded to another Papaya Farms Road home. An autopsy found Morse died as a result of blunt-force trauma.

Carse’s body was discovered at 9:58 p.m. Tuesday by officers responding to a report of a dead man on a Kalapana-Kapoho Beach Road property. An autopsy on Carse indicated he had died as a result of sharp-force trauma.

Mahuna said there were no weapons found either with Baker or in the vehicle he reportedly stole during the spree but ditched 19 miles from where he allegedly took it in Kapoho.

According to the chief, police weren’t aware of temporary restraining order petitions filed last Friday by two Puna women who said Baker threatened to kill them and others. Both petitions were denied Tuesday by Hilo District Judge Kanani Laubach for “lack of evidence.”

Mahuna said that with Baker behind bars, the focus is on “the victims and their families.”

“They are the ones who have suffered the greatest harm,” he said. “Behind every investigation, every search and every arrest are real people whose lives have been forever changed. We will continue to do everything that we can to ensure that we support them and seek justice on their behalf. We also need to ensure that their voices are heard as this case moves through the criminal justice system.

“The investigation will continue and we will work closely with the prosecutors as this case moves forward. For now, I want the people of Hawaii Island to know that we hear your concerns. Your safety is our top priority, and we will continue to work tirelessly to protect this community.”

Community members are already extending a helping hand to the victims. A GoFundMe page titled “Support for Shine ‘Ohana” has been started for Shine’s family.

“Our dear friend Anon Shine and her family just experienced an unimaginable tragedy with the sudden loss of her father, Bob Shine,” the page reads. “Bob was taken from his family in Lower Puna too soon, and we ask for you all to please respect their privacy as investigations are still ongoing. As Anon and her loved ones navigate this painful and heartbreaking time, we are coming together to help ease the financial burden of memorial services and immediate family expenses.”

As of Thursday evening, more than $7,700 of an $11,000 goal had been donated to the fundraiser.

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Email John Burnett at [email protected].