Newswatch
By Star-Bulletin Staff
Friday, September 27, 1996
U.S. Magistrate Francis Yamashita yesterday ordered Scott Robinson, 23, held without bail in connection with the Sept. 7 Mananai Place townhouse fire, calling him a threat to public safety and a flight risk.
Robinson's attorney, Hayden Aluli, said he sought his client's freedom so that he could have easier access to him. Because Hawaii does not have a federal detention facility and the Halawa medium security correctional facility is jammed, Robinson would be shipped to a California county jail until trial, Aluli said.
He asked that Robinson be allowed to stay with an uncle in Monterey, Calif., suggesting he could be put under house arrest or monitored electronically if necessary.
Challenges to the federal criminal complaint during yesterday's continued detention hearing brought to light Robinson's prior run-ins with the law.
He had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder twice, once in April and once in 1995, attorneys said.
Yamashita also took into account Robinson's 16 contempt of court violations and that he was on probation for a robbery felony conviction when the lab fire occurred.
At least that's the hope of Mayor Jeremy Harris and challenger Arnold Morgado, who yesterday announced that they will participate in as many debates and forums as possible with each other through the Nov. 5 election day.
Both men will appear in live, televised debates or forums to be held on KHET, KHON and KITV on the nights of Oct. 11, 17 and 26 respectively.
A representative for KHNL said a mayoral forum of some sort is "almost definite" while a KGMB official said a decision would be made today.
The boy was flown to Brooks Medical Center, the U.S. Army's burn treatment center in Houston, Texas. He is in critical condition, police said.
The tot suffered second- and third-degree burns over 29 percent of his body, including his feet, legs, buttocks and genitalia, police said.
The father summoned an ambulance to his Waikalani Drive apartment Sunday saying his child had been burned. The child was initially taken to Tripler Hospital, where officials notified Child Protective Services.
Doctors said the burns suffered by the child were "consistent with immersion in scalding water and forcibly held in the water," police said.
Police arrested the 24-year-old man on post at 4 p.m. yesterday. He was booked for attempted murder.
No one was injured.
Someone elsewhere in the building at 1287 Kalani St. heard gunshots about 8:30 p.m. and looked outside. The witness saw a car driving slowly by. Officers and alarm company officials discovered several bullet holes in the door and windows of the city hall and next door at the Children's Evangelism Fellowship bookstore.
- Robber escapes after bank heist
- Identification of body sought
- Bike rider dies of injuries