The girl, who does not attend school, testified at a preliminary hearing yesterday that Kekumu also slammed a rock on Talo's head. He then swore at Talo, who was lying on the ground, and said, "what's up, blood," the girl added.
Talo died the next day of head injuries suffered from the beating.
Kekumu, 19, and George Agemotu, 18, are charged with murder.
At yesterday's preliminary hearing in District Court, however, the girl gave conflicting testimony as to Agemotu's involvement.
Deputy public defender Jack Tonaki, representing Kekumu, and Agemotu's attorney, Logan Young, challenged the girl's credibility, but District Judge Tenney Z. Tongg ruled there was probable cause for arrest and sent the case to Circuit Court for trial.
Both Kekumu and Agemotu are being held in lieu of $100,000 bail. They will be arraigned Nov. 18.
A 17-year-old boy, also a reluctant witness, ignored a court order to appear yesterday. His whereabouts are unknown, says Deputy Prosecutor Nancy Kasch.
Homicide Detective Larry Tamashiro took the boy's statement on Oct. 25. The youth did not identify Agemotu as being among those he recognized at the scene of the beating, Tamashiro said in court.
In addition to Kekumu and Agemotu, seven others who allegedly participated in the beating were identified in a police affidavit. Four boys, ages 14 to 17, were arrested recently and prosecutors are seeking to have Family Court waive jurisdiction so they can be tried as adults.
The beating deaths of Talo and Tafilele Mika on Oct. 5 have fueled tension between rival gang members from Mayor Wright Housing and Kuhio Park Terrace.
In response to a question from Kasch, the girl said she saw Agemotu punching Talo in the face. But when Young asked her later if she was sure that Agemotu struck Talo, the girl said she could have been mistaken.
Tonaki asked the girl to identify others who allegedly participated in the beating.
"Do I have to say their names?" the girl asked out loud before pausing for about 30 seconds. Tonaki then read off five people she had identified in the affidavit and the girl acknowledged she knew three of them.
Tonaki claims the girl was trying to protect friends who were involved at the expense of those she didn't know well, like Kekumu and Agemotu.
The girl also admitted in court that she initially gave a false statement to police at the scene.
"There's clearly a problem with credibility with the state's witness," Tonaki said.
Outside court, Tonaki noted that Talo was not alone when he went to Mayor Wright, reportedly to avenge Mika's death. "What we believe is several people jumped out of a cab and were the aggressors toward (Kekumu and Agemotu), who were hanging out in the rear of Mayor Wright."