Police are seeking a male assailant in the slashing of a 55-year-old man last night at Gateway Park downtown.

Patrol officers were called at about 6:45 p.m. when, after an argument, a man allegedly slashed the victim in the upper left abdomen. Police said the weapon used is unknown.

The assailant fled, but two witnesses told police they can identify him.

The victim was taken to The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition, police said, but later was upgraded to guarded.

Man arrested in impersonation

A 41-year-old man was arrested last night in Lualualei after he allegedly claimed to be a law-enforcement officer pursuing someone and then tried to run down a resident who refused to cooperate with him.

The man allegedly went to a house on Lualualei Homestead Road at about 5:30 p.m. and told residents there he was looking for someone.

Witnesses told police the suspect became angry when they refused to say where the person was and said he was a retired federal agent and threatened to start an investigation. The man returned to his car. The victim, 39, said that when he tried to note the man's license number, the man drove the car toward him, causing him to jump out of the way.

Police later arrested the man on suspicion of attempted murder, impersonating a law-enforcement officer and second-degree criminal trespass.

Hearing set for accused thieves

Two men were scheduled to appear today at a preliminary hearing on charges connected with a rash of Kailua-Kona burglaries and auto break-ins.

Police charged Jimli Vergara, 24, of Kailua-Kona, with one count of promoting dangerous drugs, one count of promoting drug paraphernalia, 16 counts of theft, 12 counts of unlawful entry into a motor vehicle and two counts of burglary. Bail was set at $52,000.

Also charged was Onofre Rabang, 31, of Kailua-Kona, with six counts of theft, four counts of unlawful entry into motor vehicles and two counts of burglary. Bail was set at $22,500.

Both were arraigned Monday and remained in the police cellblock until their preliminary hearing at 1 p.m. in District Court, Kailua-Kona.

The suspects were caught in a stakeout that was staged by police at 1:45 a.m. Friday in the Nani Ohai subdivision off Hualalai Road after officers heard a report of a break-in.

Officers found a car believed to belong to the suspects and, two hours later, spotted them walking south on Hienaloli Road. The men were arrested, and items from other thefts were recovered, including credit and ID cards, police reported.

Pair charged in making threats

A man and his 13-year-old female companion have been charged in a case of terroristic threatening and reckless driving that targeted a 31-year-old woman in Kailua last night.

Police were called after 7 p.m. to 318 Hualani St., where the victim had been standing on the passenger side of her car in front of the house. The suspects ­ 21-year-old Casey Judd, in the driver's seat, and a teenage girl police declined to identify ­ allegedly occupied a car parked 169 feet to the rear of the victim's car.

The girl allegedly urged the man to hurt the woman, and Judd then allegedly raced toward the victim and passed within three feet of her.