Friends, co-workers and others who know the 19-year-old suspect in the Koko Head Crater trail stabbings say the McKinley High School graduate was quiet and reserved, spent most of his time at home and never got in much trouble.

Benjamin Davis, of Kalihi, was arrested Sunday after a manhunt in Hawai'i Kai following the double stabbing. Witnesses said Davis was found in a tree in the mountainside above Kapaia Street, where he was yelling for police to come get him.

Charges are pending against Davis, who was being held yesterday on two counts of second-degree attempted murder.

Davis was taken to the hospital yesterday afternoon from the cellblock at Honolulu police headquarters. Police declined to say why or to identify the hospital, and it was unclear yesterday how long he would be there.

Some of Davis' friends suspect he may have been on drugs.

But they also said they had never known him to be an addict.

"The guy is a ... good kid," said Alika Banks, 21, who grew up with Davis at Ka'ahumanu Homes, the Kalihi public housing project where Davis lives with his mother.

Banks said Davis was well-liked by his neighbors at Ka'ahumanu and his peers in school. Davis often kept to himself and preferred staying home to going out, Banks said.

Davis has no prior arrests. He attended Farrington High School until his junior year, and transferred to McKinley High for his senior year to play football. He graduated in 2007 and attended a community college in California for a few months, friends and neighbors said, before returning to the Islands.

Steven Ho, head of security at Farrington High School, said Davis was frequently in trouble for breaking rules. He would get in fights, skip class or talk back to teachers, Ho said. But, Ho added, Davis was also quiet and often friendly to him.

"He was a good kid," added Mataio Pulusila, also a security guard at Farrington. Pulusila said when he saw Davis on the news as the suspect in the Koko Crater stabbings he was shocked.

"I couldn't believe it," he said.

The stabbings, which happened about 3:22 p.m. Sunday, seriously injured 55-year-old Guy Tanaka, of California, and left a man in his 20s in critical condition.

The victim in his 20s remained at The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition yesterday, a spokeswoman for the hospital said.

Tanaka was released from the hospital Monday, though he is still under observation.

Joe McOmber, a supervisor for shipping and receiving at Safety Systems Hawaii, said he was amazed when he heard Davis was the suspect in the stabbings. Davis worked at Safety Systems for about four months in 2008. He didn't show up to work for a few days in early fall, and abruptly quit shortly afterward.

McOmber said Davis was nice and could be outgoing but could also be shy and reserved. He also said Davis was religious and was drug-free when he worked at Safety Systems, which requires employees to take drug tests before being hired.

But McOmber said Davis had some quirks, like breaking out in song sometimes or smiling in an unsettling way.

Yesterday at Ka'ahumanu Homes, a 51-year-old public housing project made up of two-story walk-ups, several young people were eager to vouch for Davis.

Daniel Young, 22, said Davis was "mellow." Young said he can't make sense of the stabbings.

Though Young suspects drugs were involved, he also said Davis had a reputation as being drug-free and scorning drug users.

Young added, "It's not like him to be violent."