Police find gun at
fugitive’s hideoutThe home’s resident says
the Pali shooting suspect
showed up with the gun
in a bag
Police recovered a loaded large-caliber handgun and a bulletproof vest from the Nanakuli home where fugitive Kevin "Pancho" Gonsalves was captured Tuesday.
The gun was not used in the Jan. 7 killings at the Pali Golf course, a police source told the Star-Bulletin yesterday.
Melody Aguinaldo, who lives in the 87-177 Holopono St. house where Gonsalves was captured, said the fugitive had the gun with him in a bag when he showed up on her doorstep before dawn Tuesday morning.
Aguinaldo said Gonsalves was not in possession of the gun when police captured him.
"If they caught him anywhere else, they would have had a shootout," Aguinaldo said.
After being on the run for nearly two weeks, the 33-year-old fugitive gave himself up without a fight "because Kevin had respect for me and my kids," she said.
Gonsalves, the third suspected gunman indicted in the fatal shootings of Lepo Utu Taliese and Romelius "Lawrence" Corpuz, appeared briefly in Honolulu District Court yesterday on contempt warrants for traffic violations. He will be arraigned Monday in Circuit Court on charges of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and firearm charges. Tinoimalu Sao was also critically injured in the shooting.
Police have said the shooting is linked to a turf war between two factions vying to provide security at underground gambling houses.
Aguinaldo said she does not know why Gonsalves, a friend of her brother, showed up at her house.
"He wouldn't leave, and then next thing you know, cops were breaking into my house," she said.
Aguinaldo, who said she does not subscribe to newspapers or cable television, noted: "I knew he was wanted for questioning. I didn't know he was wanted for murder."
Had she known, she said, she would not have allowed him to stay.
Aguinaldo said Gonsalves sat in her house in a daze, was not himself and was afraid.
"He said he's afraid of the law and other people out there," she said. "I told him in a nice way, 'Kevin, you cannot stay here.'"
Gonsalves told her that none of his friends would help him. "I told him, 'I got kids,'" she said.
Police, tipped that Gonsalves was seen driving a car, found it parked near Aguinaldo's house. Sometime after 1 p.m., "a cop kicked open the front door," Aguinaldo said, and police stormed in.
She pointed to where Gonsalves ran, and police ran after him, she said. Gonsalves ran into the bedroom and hid under the bed.
Aguinaldo was whisked out with the three children she was baby-sitting, including her granddaughter.
"I had this feeling like they were going to shoot already," she said.
Aguinaldo, her 41-year-old boyfriend and her 17-year-old daughter were questioned and released.
Neighbors expressed surprise and fear that Gonsalves was found in their neighborhood but were relieved the manhunt was over after days of hearing the whir of a police helicopter.
Pearl Mendiola said she locked her doors as soon as she heard the news.
"Spooky, knowing he was on our street," she said.