LIHUE — The Swan family of Marion, Indiana has visited Kauai multiple times a year for the past 30 years and those trips have been good ones.
But on their most recent visit earlier this month, they said their son was assaulted near Kalapaki Beach.
Brayton Swan, 21, said an unknown man knocked him unconscious and left him bloodied at the end of a night on the town. Swan suffered a concussion and was hospitalized.
“Before, I looked at the people as so friendly and nice,” he said.
The Kauai Police Department said Tuesday the reported assault is under investigation.
On June 15, the family spent the day relaxing by the pool at the Kauai Marriott Resort. Swan and a friend were invited to a dance at a Lihue establishment, close to where the family was staying. His cousin, who lives in Kapaa, assured them it was a safe spot.
“To me it was just something to have fun with my friend,” Swan said. “It didn’t work out well. There’s a lot of other things we could have done to have fun and that wouldn’t have happened.”
Halfway through the dance, Swan said a man asked for his phone number and if he wanted to go “cruise” after the dance. He said he declined.
About 1:30 a.m., when the event ended, Swan said he went to a pavilion near Kalapaki Beach.
“It was pouring down rain and before the rain started there were security guards and they went upstairs. I was talking to this guy for about 10 to 15 minutes and we were having a good time. (Then) I heard ‘hey,’ and don’t remember anything else,” Swan said.
Swan said the person who asked him to go cruise punched him so hard he fell to the ground, unresponsive.
Swan’s friend called 911.
Cindy Swan and her husband Jim said they felt comfortable letting their son and his friend attend the dance because they could see the venue from their hotel room. The couple went to sleep and later woke up to see the flashing lights. Jim Swan went down to see what was happening and when he rounded the corner, he saw his son face down in a pool of blood.
Cindy Swan said he tried to get him to respond, but he didn’t.
In the moment, Jim Swan said he just wanted to get help for his son.
“I’m just ready to get something done to get him in the ambulance and get him out of there. I didn’t know what happened at that point I was trying to ask questions to see what was going on,” Jim Swan said.
Brayton sustained lacerations to his head and mouth and suffered a concussion. He was treated at Wilcox Medical Center and is now recovering at home.
For Cindy Swan, the experience was traumatizing.
“I was thinking, what on earth happened to him? He’s never been in trouble, not through his grade school and high school years,” she said.
“I keep seeing him in the hospital,” she said. “I keep thinking of what could have happened if he would have gotten into the car.”
The owner of the establishment that hosted the dance, who asked to remain off the record, allowed the family access to the security footage from that evening and after combing through it, they say they’ve found the person who assaulted Brayton.
They also asked around in the area, found out the man’s name, and reported it to police.
Now the family says they want justice.
“We did all the investigative work ourselves, walking up and down knocking on the door asking people finally someone had mercy on us she was in tears saying she knew who did it,” Cindy Swan said.
Brayton Swan said he is telling his story because he wants something to be done.
“I don’t want someone to go through what I went through,” he said.
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Bethany Freudenthal, Courts, Crime and County reporter, 652-7891, bfreudenthal@thegardenisland.com
Does not appear to hard to investigate. Why did the tourists have to do this? I would like to hear Kauai PD’s response.
so would I. Still waiting!!
we will be watching to see what KPD does to follow up on this information…my bet is NOTHING if the perpetrator is related to any locals.
So why hasn’t this punk been arrested and put in jail? Let me guess, he’s related to some politician, therefore taboo. It won’t take many instances like this to put a big dent in the tourist industry once the word hits the internet.
“Soft cracking” or sucker punching is the signature move of a coward. It happens more often than you think on this island, and there’s usually a local behind the fist.
Actually, it’s ‘false cracking’, not soft cracking. Nothing soft about it. But you’re right about it being cowardly.
False cracks not “soft” cracks braddah
Sorry this happened to you. However, “it was just one bad apple that ruined it!”
Most likely a racial component to this assault, as is so often the case. Dear tourists, please realize that Hawaii has a humongous racial problem, usually local against ‘haoles’, a problem that is swept under the rug in order to preserve the facade of the ‘land of aloha’. Please be careful out there. Lots of nutcases with a chip on their shoulders.
It was actually right underneath the dance club where they rent paddle boards to tourist. He never saw it coming. There was no time given to protect himself. Cowardly act.
How do we stop this violence against innocent people?
Not sure if you can really stop it Cindy. Sad as it sounds. Read the comment Hutch wrote, it’s very accurate. The best you and your family can do is protect yourself. Stay clear from ‘local’ clubs or dances. They are known for having a lot of drunk, ignorant locals that like Hutch mentioned, have chips on their shoulders. And certainly do not go to the Nawiliwili pavilions at night! Lots of crazies hang out there. Sorry this happened to your family.
The owners name is Giuseppe Avocadi and the establishment is Cafe Portofino.. This isn’t the first time that this has happened, it’s been going on like this for over 8 years.. KPD AND GIUSEPPE HAVE NOT DONE THERE PART IN ENFORCING or Making thing this a safer place for locals and tourists.
How do you suggest one goes about changing this? Do any of you locals have any advice for us?
We are still waiting. The police have not answered our calls and they are not responding. Just so everyone knows he never went to the pavilion. he was right by Dukes which is where a lot of tourists hang. This is totally unacceptable to bully tourists. I guess the next step is to go public.