HILO, Hawai'i — A Big Island woman indicted for attempted second-degree murder by omission in what police describe as a severe child abuse case was arrested yesterday and briefly appeared in Hilo Circuit Court.

Hyacinth L. Poouahi, 38, was arrested without incident at her Hilo home at about 8 a.m., but did not enter a plea during her appearance before Circuit Court Judge Glenn Hara.

Deputy Public Defender David Kuwahara said his office is unable to represent Poouahi because of a conflict of interest. He said the public defender at one time represented a potential witnesses in the case. Poouahi told Hara she would wait until her private lawyer is appointed before entering a plea, and a new hearing in the case was set for Dec. 29.

Police said there may be more arrests and charges in the case.

The case involves an 11-year-old girl who was taken from a Puna home Feb. 7 suffering from burns, broken bones and festering wounds. The child remained in a coma for "several weeks," police said.

She had been left at Poouahi's home about three months earlier, but is not related to Poouahi.

Poouahi called for an ambulance Feb. 7 when the girl could not be roused, and court records say the ambulance crew found the girl lying on a lanai of the home with a cut on her head that was "decomposing and containing maggots."

A doctor who treated the girl told police the girl was malnourished and dehydrated, and had cigarette burns, and other injuries that suggested she had been bound, court records say.

Poouahi was indicted this week on five felony charges, including kidnapping, terroristic threatening, first-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a minor. The attempted murder by omission count alleges Poouahi witnessed assaults and injuries to the child and had a duty to seek help for the girl.

Poouahi has said the girl's injuries were largely self-inflicted, and said the girl's condition suddenly deteriorated on Feb. 6, prompting her to call an ambulance the following day.

However, Poouahi's 16-year-old daughter told police she saw Poouahi, Poouahi's live-in boyfriend and Poouahi's 14-year-old son "beat up" the girl.

The 16-year-old girl also told police she begged Poouahi to seek medical treatment for the girl, but Poouahi refused.

A shackled and handcuffed Poouahi yesterday pulled a sweat jacket over her head in an attempt to shield her face from photographers at the Hilo state office building. She was being held at the Hawai'i Community Correctional Center last night in lieu of $25,000 bail.

The 11-year-old girl is not being identified by The Advertiser to protect her privacy. She was sent to a California hospital for treatment of burns. She is now in foster care in Hawai'i.

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com.