Honolulu Chinatown acid attack suspect was previous target of hate crimes

A 34-year-old man arrested in connection with a recent acid attack in Honolulu’s Chinatown was himself the victim of alleged hate crimes and police misconduct in recent years, court documents show.

Catch up: Marquis Johnson turned himself in Sunday evening at Honolulu police headquarters on suspicion of first-degree assault in the sulfuric acid attack that injured a 30-year-old restaurant worker near Smith and Hotel streets on Aug. 8. Police had until 5:35 p.m. Tuesday to file charges against him, though prosecutors could pursue attempted murder charges based on their investigation.

The victim, who was initially critical, is now in stable condition. The incident marked the third acid attack on Oahu in two years.

A troubled past: Johnson has filed civil rights complaints stemming from previous incidents in Hawaii. Former colleague Daniella Stolfi, who worked with him in digital marketing at Castle Resorts 10 years ago, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the crime is “so out of the blue, and so out of character” for him.

In February 2022, Johnson was attacked by nine people who allegedly targeted him because of his race in Chinatown while he helped a drunk military man catch an Uber. “He woke up in a hospital,” Stolfi told Hawaii News Now. “They had cut his face with bottles. I think his back had been broken.”

The attack reportedly required facial reconstructive surgery. Johnson also filed a lawsuit against Honolulu police over a 2020 Waikiki incident, alleging officers used excessive force after mistaking him for a car thief when other Black suspects were involved. Separately, he sued property owners claiming hidden surveillance cameras recorded him at a Kahala vacation rental during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What’s next: Johnson gave a deposition in his surveillance suit the day before the acid attack. Police said the victim did not know Johnson, who approached the man and asked questions before throwing acid on him. If convicted of first-degree assault, Johnson faces up to 10 years in prison.