Doctor allegedly pushes wife off hiking trail, bashes her in the head with a rock | Law Enforcement Today

HONOLULU COUNTY, HI - Authorities have announced that a doctor has been charged with trying to murder is wife by pushing her off a Hawaii hotspot and then bashing her in the head with a rock after she allegedly refused to take a picture with him.

According to the New York Post, 46-year-old Gerhardt Koing, an anesthesiologist from Maui, was on vacation on Oahu with his 36-year-old wife, nuclear engineer Arielle Koing, when he allegedly pushed her off a hiking trail in the Pali Lookout, a famous panoramic viewpoint. Law enforcement officials said that Koing allegedly flipped out on his wife because she would not take a picture with him.

The doctor also repeatedly punched his wife and hit her with a rock, and at some point, tried to poke her with two syringes. It is unclear if those contained any drugs or not. Arielle was rushed to a hospital in serious condition with multiple facial and head injuries after the attack, which happened on Monday, March 24th.

Roughly eight hours after the attack, Gerhardt was arrested close to Pali Highway after a brief foot chase. Following the incident, Pali Lookout was closed for the rest of the day Monday. Maui Health said in a statement that Gerhardt, who was employed by an independent contractor to provide medical services as an anesthesiologist in Maui, has been suspended.

The statement from Maui Health read, "Maui Health is committed to patient safety and upholding the highest standards of care. We have been made aware of the allegations against Gerhardt Koing, MD. Dr. Koing has been suspended from the medical staff pending investigation. Dr. Koing is employed by an independent entity contracted to provide medical services at various medical facilities in Maui, including Maui Memorial Medical Center. Maui Health takes these concerns and the safety of its patients very seriously and will cooperate with authorities as appropriate."

The investigation remains ongoing and charges against Gerhardt are pending. According to ABC News, Koing previously worked in Pittsburgh, where he was an attending anesthesiologist at a women's hospital and an assistant professor of anesthesiology and bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh Schools of Medicine and Engineering. A spokesperson for the medical center said that Koing has not worked for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in over two years.

In a separate incident, an Orlando, Florida man has been arrested for shooting his ex-wife and then trying to frame her for the act. According to reports, the arrest affidavit states that police responded to the home on Saturday afternoon, March 22nd after receiving a call about the shooting.

Upon arriving on scene, an officer approached the front door and found the man, identified as 62-year-old Jonathan Frenk, holding his hands up and coming out of the building. Frenk was unarmed, but he claimed that his wife had been shot in her right thigh. When officers went inside, they found a woman sitting on a chair, screaming for help as a handgun sat on top of a nearby suitcase.

Police said that the woman said she shot herself and that Frenk told investigators that she may "be a user." She was transported to the hospital for treatment to her injury. The affidavit reads, "As the victim was getting transported, the victim told the fire department medical staff that she had shot herself. But later on, the victim stated, 'My husband shot me!'"

At the hospital, the woman was interviewed by detectives, during which the detectives found out that Frenk had an injunction against her, but they were still living together. During a fight, Frenk reportedly became upset and told the woman, "I'm going to kill you," just before he shot her in the thigh.

The affidavit read, "The victim did not hear [Frenk] saying anything after he shot her. The victim said she had no idea if [Frenk] intended to shoot her in the thigh. The victim was scared and in fear of her life. The victim told [Frenk] that she could tell the police that she shot herself to avoid [Frenk] from shooting her again."

Police said, after the shooting, Frenk allegedly rubbed the handgun against the woman's hands before she called 911. Frenk has been taken into custody and is facing charges of aggravated battery against a pregnant woman as well as attempted murder. He is being held on no bond.