Leila Fujimori | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

City reports criteria for Honolulu Ocean Safety commissioners

Leila Fujimori — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The city this week laid out the duties and eligibility requirements for members of the public who want to serve on the newly created Ocean Safety Commission.

Ewa Beach man indicted on meth, fentanyl, ghost gun charges

Leila Fujimori — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 22:00:00 +0000

A federal grand jury indicted a 47-year-old Ewa Beach man Thursday on charges that include methamphetamine and fentanyl distribution and discharging a “ghost gun,” U.S. Attorney Clare Connors announced.

High school students get taste of the Supreme Court in action

Leila Fujimori — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Nearly 400 students from Aiea, Leilehua, McKinley Mililani, Radford and Waipahu high schools packed the stands Tuesday at the Mililani High School gymnasium to witness a powerful “visiting team” in action.

Judge finds man guilty in Mililani Walmart rampage

Leila Fujimori — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Despite Desmond Kekahuna’s numerous suicide attempts and hearing voices, an Oahu Circuit judge was not convinced he was suffering from a physical or mental disease, disorder or defect when in 2023 he used a car to plow into a 37-year-old woman pushing her 6-month-old girl in a stroller through the Mililani Walmart parking lot.

Man takes plea deal after rape sentence vacated

Leila Fujimori — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

A 24-year-old man, convicted and sentenced to 30 years in 2022 for raping a 78-year-old visiting woman camping at a South Kohala beach park June 15, 2019, was set free Friday and plans to return to his home in the Midwest, his attorney says.

Murder victim alive when cement was poured, prosecutor suggests

Leila Fujimori — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Deputy Prosecutor Scott Bell’s questioning on the stand of the now 26-year-old Colombian man who wants to take back his guilty plea in the 2022 murder, identity and property theft of 73-year-old Gary Ruby revealed why his former lawyers recommended taking the plea deal.

Honolulu firefighter pleads not guilty to sexual assault of girl

Leila Fujimori — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

A 42-year-old Honolulu firefighter pleaded not guilty Thursday to eight counts of sexual assault of a minor.

Babysitter found guilty in death of infant files motion for new trial

Leila Fujimori — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Dixie Villa, the babysitter found guilty of manslaughter in the Benadryl overdose death of 7-month-old infant Abigail Lobisch, is asking for a new trial, saying the child’s mother lied about sleeping with her baby and that an unknown witness has came forward.

Man claims insanity in attack on mother pushing baby stroller

Leila Fujimori — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

A court-waived trial was held Tuesday for Desmond Kekahuna, accused of intentionally driving his red Honda Fit into a 37-year-old woman, who was pushing her 6-month-old baby in a stroller through the parking lot of the Mililani Walmart.

Woman charged in shooting incident was accomplice in officer’s killing

Leila Fujimori — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

A 36-year-old woman, charged Monday for allegedly shooting at her ex-boyfriend Saturday night in the University area, was an accomplice to the man who killed Bronson Kaliloa, a Hawaii County police officer, on July 17, 2018.

Jury finds babysitter guilty of manslaughter in 2017 death of infant

Leila Fujimori — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Seven women and five men took a little over a day to find babysitter Dixie Denise Villa guilty as charged of manslaughter in the 2019 “Benadryl” overdose death of 7-month-old Abigail Lobisch.

Oahu jury finds babysitter guilty of manslaughter in child’s death

Leila Fujimori — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 21:42:00 +0000

An Oahu Circuit Court jury found babysitter Dixie Denise Villa guilty of manslaughter in the February 2019 death of 7-month-old Abigail Lobisch.

Driver who caused double fatal crash is sentenced

Leila Fujimori — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

An Oahu Circuit Court judge Thursday sentenced a 29-year-old Kahuku man to two 20-year terms for manslaughter in a 2022 vehicle crash in Malaekahana in which he killed a visiting Virginia couple and injured their daughter.

Babysitter’s trial in infant’s death heads to jury

Leila Fujimori — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Jurors began deliberations in the manslaughter trial of babysitter Dixie Denise Villa after hearing closing arguments late Wednesday afternoon in the February 2019 “Benadryl” toxicity death of 7-month-old Abigail Lobisch.

Babysitter’s manslaughter trial produces its final witnesses

Leila Fujimori — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The state and the defense presented their final witnesses Tuesday in the manslaughter trial of Dixie Denise Villa, accused of giving a fatal dose of diphenhydramine, the antihistamine found in Benadryl, to a 7-month-old infant.

Fatal drug for infant contained in breast milk, defense asserts

Leila Fujimori — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The 35-year-old mother of 7-month-old Abigail Lobisch, who died in 2019 of an overdose of diphenhydramine — the drug found in Benadryl — gave tearful testimony Thursday about losing her “sweet baby.”

Trial begins in infant’s drug overdose death

Leila Fujimori — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The lawyer for the then-40-year-old babysitter on trial for manslaughter in the February 2019 Benadryl overdose death of 7-month-old Abigail Lobisch began her opening statement Wednesday with a question.

Babysitter’s trial to begin in infant’s drug overdose death

Leila Fujimori — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Abigail Lobisch would have turned 6 on July 16 had she not died at 7 months of age from an overdose of the antihistamine found in Benadryl.

Shark severs surfer’s lower leg off Maui

Leila Fujimori — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Friends say the 61-year-old Maui surfer who lost the lower part of his leg to a shark Friday morning off Waiehu Beach Park, always wore the biggest smile “while cruising down the waves.”

Case continued for man seeking to withdraw guilty plea in Hawaii Loa Ridge homicide

Leila Fujimori — Sat, 26 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The 25-year-old Colombian man who is trying to withdraw his guilty plea in the 2022 murder of 73-year-old Gary Ruby, along with stealing his Hawaii Loa Ridge house, car and identity, testified Friday concerning the reasons his mother hired attorney Myles Breiner to represent him.

Man gets 4 years’ probation after judge says accuser lied

Leila Fujimori — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

An Oahu Circuit Court judge Thursday sentenced a 32-year-old man — originally charged with attempted murder, robbery and gun charges for allegedly robbing and shooting at a Kaneohe gas station customer in 2023 — to four years’ probation on a charge of reckless endangering.

Homeless man indicted in death of girlfriend pleads not guilty

Leila Fujimori — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Gibran Copeland, the homeless man indicted on murder and firearm charges in the Sept. 9 death of his girlfriend, whose body was found in a Manoa storm drain, asked an Oahu Circuit Court judge that bail be set in his case.

Suspect in fatal Wendy’s stabbing pleads not guilty

Leila Fujimori — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The 60-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing 22-year-old Kashka Otto, a worker at the Nanakuli Wendy’s, and seriously injuring the 44-year-old restaurant manager, pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that, if he is convicted, could result in a life sentence without parole.

State, Catholic Charities Hawaii settle case in alleged abuse of foster child

Leila Fujimori — Sun, 20 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The state of Hawaii and Catholic Charities Hawaii have settled a civil lawsuit for $690,000 involving the alleged repeated sexual assault, molestation and abuse of a foster child by the foster mother’s son and his friend who both lived with them, plaintiff’s lawyers said.

Kauai County UPW to get COVID hazard pay

Leila Fujimori — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Kauai County United Public Workers members have voted to accept 15% of their base hourly pay for all the hours worked during the COVID-19 pandemic, the union announced Monday.

Kaiser parking attendant dies after being struck by vehicle

Leila Fujimori — Sun, 13 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

A 75-year-old female parking lot attendant at the Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center died of fatal injuries when she was struck at about 4:30 p.m. Friday by a vehicle just outside the hospital’s parking garage.

Hawaii Supreme Court clears path for Ireland case lawsuit

Leila Fujimori — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 10:06:00 +0000

The Hawaii Supreme Court filed an opinion Thursday that found the Schweitzer brothers, whose convictions were overturned by the Circuit Court in the infamous 1991 murder and rape of Dana Ireland, will no longer have to seek a declaration of “actual innocence” in order to pursue their wrongful-conviction compensation case.

Former OCCC sergeant gets life in shooting death of his mother

Leila Fujimori — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

In Wednesday’s sentencing of 52-year-old Anthony F. Pereira II for fatally shooting his 66-year-old mother, Barbara, in the face and holding another woman hostage at his Maili home in June 2016, the judge summed up what appeared to be at the root of his actions:

Former OCCC sergeant gets life in prison in shooting death of his mother

Leila Fujimori — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 02:00:00 +0000

Oahu Circuit Judge Rowena Somerville sentenced this afternoon a 52-year-old former Oahu Community Correctional Center training sergeant to life in prison with the possibility of parole in the 2016 shooting death of his mother, Barbara Pereira.

Defendant in Hawaii Loa Ridge murder case seeks to withdraw guilty plea

Leila Fujimori — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The 25-year-old Colombian man who took a plea deal March 18 in the murder of a 73-year-old man in his luxury Hawaii Loa Ridge house says his then-attorneys told him that if he didn’t take the deal, he would die in prison.

Maili teen charged with murder to be moved to OCCC on 18th birthday

Leila Fujimori — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The 17-year-old Maili boy charged as an adult with murder in the Feb. 17 shooting death of rancher Cranston Pia in Makaha, will be transferred to the Oahu Community Correctional Center by Monday, his 18th birthday.

At 101, spunky Sarah Mitchell recalls lifetime of hard work and success

Leila Fujimori — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

With a little luck and serendipity, Sarah Mitchell engineered a remarkable life of health, happiness and success.

Blue Ribbon schools Koko Head and Mililani Ike touted for rigor, enrichment

Leila Fujimori — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Koko Head Elementary School and Mililani Ike Elementary School were selected as 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools based on progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups and high performance in English language arts and mathematics.

Man who critically injured officer is sentenced to 16 years

Leila Fujimori — Sat, 28 Sep 2024 10:05:00 +0000

A 41-year-old man would have faced life imprisonment without the possibility of parole at his sentencing Friday for critically injuring a Honolulu police officer by twice striking the back of his head with a foot-long metal car jack extension in the early morning hours of Feb. 16, 2023, in Laie.

Hearing delayed after defendant objects to interpreter

Leila Fujimori — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Tuesday’s hearing of a 25-year-old Colombian man’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea in the 2022 strangulation death of Gary Ruby, a 73-year-old Hawaii Loa Ridge man, was postponed because he objected to the Spanish-language interpreter assigned to cover the hearing.

Suspect in Hawaii Loa homicide wants to withdraw guilty plea

Leila Fujimori — Sun, 22 Sep 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Juan Baron, who was scheduled to be sentenced this week in the 2022 death of a 73-year-old Hawaii Loa Ridge man, wants to change his March 18 guilty plea.

TV show to examine threat of hurricanes to Hawaii

Leila Fujimori — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 10:05:00 +0000

A one-hour paid television program, “The New Hurricane Threat for Hawaii,” will air Thursday and Saturday and feature local experts on why Hawaii is increasingly vulnerable to hurricanes and warn of its dire impacts on its people.

Washington couple apparently drowns in Maui waters

Leila Fujimori — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Ilya and Sophia Tsaruk were vacationing on Maui from Washington state when they apparently drowned Saturday while swimming and possibly snorkeling in waters off the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve in the southwest corner of Maui.

4 Alaska Airlines employees sickened on flight from Lihue

Leila Fujimori — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 23:09:00 +0000

Four Alaska Airlines flight attendants were sickened Thursday night by an unknown smell on Flight No. 810 from Lihue to Seattle, which was diverted to Honolulu.

Dana Ireland murder investigation case revisited

Leila Fujimori — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 10:06:00 +0000

The Hawaii Supreme Court heard oral arguments Thursday on a petition by the Hawaii Police Department asking the justices to order 3rd Circuit Judge Peter Kubota to vacate his Aug. 5 decision, which would require police to release information in their ongoing investigation into the 1991 Dana Ireland murder and rape case in Puna.