A 37-year-old man originally charged with manslaughter pleaded no contest this morning to a reduced charge of second-degree assault stemming from a fight that left a 61-year-old man dead. Manslaughter charge
is cut to an assaultPisaina Tupai faces up to a year in jail and five years on probation when he is sentenced Feb. 23 before Circuit Judge John Lim.
Tupai is accused of causing the death of Ronald Ching in a fight during an after-work drinking gathering at Campbell Industrial Park on March 27.
Prosecutors said Ching struck Tupai, who then hit Ching back. Ching fell to the ground and then hit his head either on the ground or on a nearby car.
Friends took Ching home to Waipahu because it did not appear that he was seriously hurt, prosecutors said. Later, he was taken to St. Francis West Hospital, where he died March 29.
Bone marrow drive
First Hawaiian Bank is co-sponsoring bone marrow recruitment drives this month to locate a match for bank employee Dolores Tee Sy.The bank is joining the Hawaii Bone Marrow Donor Registry at St. Francis Medical Center in conducting the drives, which will be held:
Tomorrow and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the First Hawaiian Center, 6th floor.
Donors must be between 18 and 60 and in generally good health. A small blood sample will be taken from potential donors for tissue-typing. Call 547-6154 for more information.
Salvation Army offering help to those in need
If you know a family in need or need help yourself in the holiday season, the Salvation Army may provide assistance.Applications for such help are being taken through Friday at Salvation Army Community Corps Centers around the state.
Oahu families may come to the following locations or telephone:
Water board replacing pipelines
The Honolulu Board of Water Supply will remove pipelines that have mains that break often and install new lines as part of a $1.28 million project.Individual jobs are:
California sends trucks to fight isle forest fires
Five fire trucks donated from California to aid in fighting Hawaii forest fires will be blessed in a dedication ceremony 10 a.m. tomorrow.The fully equipped engines will be added to the firefighting arsenal of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
The ceremony at the Honolulu Fire Department's Fire Training Center, at 830 Valkenburgh St. near the airport, also will be attended by representatives of other fire agencies, state Civil Defense, Alexander & Baldwin, and the Hawaii National Guard.
See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffPuunui woman quizzed about infant's injury
Police have questioned a 56-year-old Puunui woman about injuries suffered by a 4-month-old boy left in her care.Child-abuse investigators said the boy has a broken bone in his upper left arm.
The case, which has been classified as a second-degree assault, was referred to the police on Friday.
Driver badly injured in high-speed crash
An unidentified man was critically injured in a high-speed crash early this morning on Kapiolani Boulevard near the Hard Rock Cafe.The crash was reported at 12:54 a.m.
Witnesses told police the man's car was traveling west at a "high rate of speed" past McCully Street before he apparently lost control of the vehicle while braking near Hauoli Street.
The car struck a utility pole and then a tree, police said.
Police have not been able to determine the identity of the man, who was alone in the car.
He was wearing a seatbelt and alcohol does not appear to be a contributing factor, police said.
Sawed-off shotgun gets pair arrested
Prohibited firearm charges are pending against a man and woman, both 32, who were arrested last night by police in Waipahu for being in possession of a sawed-off shotgun.Patrol officers, responding to a 11:30 p.m. complaint of an argument on the 96-200 block of Waiawa Road, stopped a vehicle leaving the scene.
During questioning, officers observed the butt of the shotgun in the car.
2 women say they were sexually assaulted
Police are investigating separate complaints from two women who reported being sexually assaulted.A man, 38, was arrested at his South Beretania Street residence last night for third-degree sexual assault and kidnapping.
A woman, 37, said she held against her will and attacked early Saturday morning by the man at his residence.
Another woman, 24, told police she awoke Saturday morning nude in bed with a suspect, who is at large.
The woman said she had been drinking in Waikiki earlier and "blacked out."
Rescue workers still looking for man, 84
HILO - Fire Department rescue personnel were to resume a search this morning for John K. Lindsey, 84, of Waimea, reported missing last night after he failed to return from a trip to the Saddle Road to gather kokoolau leaves for tea.Fire officials received the call at 7:54 p.m. that Lindsey was missing in the area of the Kilohana Girl Scout Camp. Searcher found his truck there and continued looking during the night, returning to their station at 2 a.m. today, the department said.
The search was to resume at daybreak.
Big Isle man charged with stabbing his wife
KAILUA-KONA - Police have charged Joel Velazquez, 29, of Waikoloa, with attempted murder for an attack on his wife in which she suffered more than 20 stab wounds to her chest and back, they said.The victim, Dayvalene Kahalewai, 22, remains in stable condition at Queen's Hospital following surgery for several life-threatening wounds, including treatment of one which was close to her heart, they said.
Police were notified of the attack at the couple's home at Ke Kumu Apartments shortly after midnight Saturday morning.
Velazquez was also charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of minors because his 3- and 5-year-old daughters were present during the attack.
He was also charged with contempt for an unrelated bench warrant.
Velazquez remains in the Kona cellblock in lieu of $54,500 bail.
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