Fifty-nine-year-old Bongak "Jackie" Koja carried pepper spray to protect her during her early morning walks past Leilehua High School in Wahiawa. Opening statements
begin in Janto trialBut when she used it on Frank Charles Janto after he confronted her at 3:45 a.m. June 9, "he exploded a fist into her face, knocked her glasses off and ripped bridgework out of her mouth," City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle said this morning during his opening statement in Janto's murder trial.
Carlisle said Koja screamed twice as Janto chased her toward the high school, beating her as she stumbled and dragging her to a back wall after she blacked out.
He said Koja regained consciousness, bit Janto and screamed again, causing him to inflict his final blows.
"He took her head in his hands and slammed it into the concrete," Carlisle said. "He did it again and again. Jackie Koja stopped screaming for the last time."
He pointed to Janto, who sat in a white shirt with his head hung down, as Carlisle accused him of murder in Koja's death.
But William Bento, Janto's attorney and deputy public defender, said Janto never intended to kill Koja when he reacted in anger to her pepper spray.
He said Janto didn't commit murder, adding: "If there was any crime that occurred, it may have been manslaughter."
Janto faces life in prison with parole if convicted of murder and up to 20 years if convicted of manslaughter.
Bento said Janto had been smoking crystal methamphetamine and cocaine and hadn't really slept in three days when he saw Koja at a bus stop in front of the high school.
Bento said Janto saw that she was looking for something on the ground and volunteered to help. But he saw that she became frightened as he tried to talk to her.
"He had no evil intent in his mind or a plan of wrong-doing," he said.
Bento said Koja overreacted to Janto when she sprayed him in the face, surprising and shocking his client. He said Janto struck her in the mouth, even though he had no intent to hit her.
He said Janto then reacted when he saw her blood and chased her, trying to calm her down and apologize.
Bento said Janto, who had been on his way to his girlfriend's house, knew he was in trouble. He caught up with Koja, who hit him again.
He said Koja lost consciousness, awoke, bit him and screamed again, leading to another overreaction on Janto's part.
Bento said Janto slammed her head into the concrete and then saw down and cried, adding: "He cried because he was sorry for himself and for what he had done."
He said Janto dragged Koja to the dumpster. But he also realized he had left bloody footprints and a palm print at the school.
Bento said Janto went to police when he heard they wanted to talk to him, eventually confessed and helped police recreate the incident at the high school.
During pretrial hearings, Janto recanted his confession, saying he recited to police details they already had told him. He also said he believed police said if he cooperated they would charge him with manslaughter.
Lava flow from Kilauea has apparently paused
HILO -- Kilauea began an apparent pause of its east rift eruption yesterday afternoon after dramatic lava flows the night before.A report from the flow field on the eastern edge of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park showed no lava moving through underground tubes that normally carry lava from Puu Oo crater to the sea.
The flow through the tubes usually can be seen through "skylights," holes broken in the top of the tubes.
An unusual surface flow of aa lava moving through a restricted channel it created for itself early Wednesday night created a huge glow reflected off clouds in the area.
The glow lasted until just before daybreak yesterday morning, when the flow is assumed to have cooled and hardened.
City liability for waste steels potential suit
Kalihi residents say action by the city Zoning Board of Appeals strengthens its potential legal fight with the city over a nearby medical waste-processing facility.The board yesterday voted to allow a medical waste-processing facility to stay in Kalihi but deleted a section from the permit that said the city was not liable for any problems that could result from the facility.
Property owners and residents in the area who raised complaints about odors from the waste facility said the change would strengthen a lawsuit they intend to bring against the city.
They say people have become ill from the smells emanating from NCNS Environmental Inc., which received a sold-waste management permit in 1992.
Workshop on lobbying tomorrow at Capitol
Common Cause Hawaii is holding its annual workshop on how bills become law and how you can be an effective lobbyist at the state Legislature.The workshop will be held tomorrow in Room 212 of the state Capitol from 1 to 5 p.m.
There is a $5 charge at the door. Call 533-6996 for reservations.
Council overrides mayor, grants Waiawa zoning
Plans for up to 3,000 homes and 90 acres of commercial development at Waiawa Ridge have won an override vote from the City Council.The Council voted 8-1 yesterday to override the December veto of Mayor Jeremy Harris. The dissenting vote came from Councilman Steve Holmes, who was also the only member to vote against the project in December.
More than 150 construction workers sat in the Council chambers in support of the project.
Harris had vetoed the bill, saying Zoning Chairwoman Donna Mercado Kim had quietly maneuvered to give developer Gentry Development and landowner Bishop Estate increased commercial zoning.
Kim has denied the charge. She spent a good portion of yesterday's meeting proving Harris wrong.
Harris backed off his veto Wednesday when Councilman Mufi Hannemann brokered a compromise under which Gentry and Bishop Estate agreed to reduced commercial space.
Norm Dyer, Gentry president, said his company expects to break ground early next year.
See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
See our [Info] section for subscription information.
Police/Fire
By Star-Bulletin staffApparent thief arrested at Enchanted Lake home
Police yesterday arrested a 44-year-old man for an apparent burglary of an Enchanted Lake home.The suspect, who has no local address, entered the Akiahala Street home at about 4 p.m., police said. The resident, a 72-year-old man, found the suspect in the kitchen. The suspect attacked the victim, police said.
Big Island scam sells tickets for sausage
HILO, Hawaii -- Big Island police are again warning the public of a scam in which phony fund-raising tickets are sold for Portuguese sausage.Anyone with information is asked to call Officer Elson Cabatu at 961-2213 or Crimestoppers at 961-8300.
Woman says boyfriend held, beat her five days
Police yesterday arrested a Honolulu man for allegedly holding, beating and abusing his girlfriend for five days at a North Nimitz Highway apartment.The victim, 36, told police the suspect kept her at their home since Sunday, police said. She said her boyfriend, 26, repeatedly beat her for the five days.
The woman managed to call for help when the suspect allowed her to do laundry at about 3:30 p.m., said police.
She alerted a security guard, who called police.
Detectives found the woman starved, dehydrated and with bruises to her entire body.
The suspect was booked for kidnapping.
Makaha teen charged in robbery at bus stop
Police yesterday charged a Makaha boy in connection with Wednesday's armed robbery.The suspect, 17, and three other boys allegedly demanded money from a boy at a bus stop in Waipahu, police said.
The suspect pulled out a handgun and forced the victim to board a Makaha-bound bus.
Police said the victim was able to flee during a stop in Kapolei. The other three suspects have not been arrested.
The suspect was charged with first-degree robbery and kidnapping, police said.
Prosecutors will ask for the suspect to be tried as an adult.
See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
See our [Info] section for subscription information.
