COURTESY PHOTO
Court documents detail how Daysha Aiona Aka was physically abused for six years before her death Nov. 1.
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Boyfriend is indicted in murder and arson
Jeffrey Santos remains in a Big Island jail in lieu of two bonds worth $1 million
HILO » A Hawaii County grand jury indicted Jeffrey B. Santos Jr. yesterday on charges of murder and five related offenses in the Nov. 1 shooting death of his girlfriend, Daysha Aiona Aka, 21, of Hilo.
At the same time the indictment was being presented in Circuit Court, about 100 supporters of Aiona Aka's family held a street-side demonstration in Hilo's bay-front area against domestic violence.
"We know that justice will be served," said Aiona Aka's sister, Cassie Leopoldino, at the demonstration. "We have faith in the system."
The demonstration, making people aware of domestic violence, gives meaning to Aiona Aka's life, said her grandmother Beverlyn Akimseu, who raised her.
"The outpouring of the community has been overwhelming. We want to thank everybody for their aloha," she said.
A preliminary hearing was to have been held in Hilo District Court yesterday, at which the prosecution would have outlined the case against Santos.
But the hearing was delayed and eventually will be canceled because of the indictment.
Besides murder, Santos, 23, was indicted on charges of using a firearm in a felony, violation of a restraining order, arson, illegal possession of the firearm and not keeping the firearm in a proper place. Those are the same charges he faced in District Court.
Bail was set at $500,000. With the $500,000 previously set in District Court, his bail now totals $1 million until the District Court case is dismissed.
In a preliminary hearing, police would have testified about their involvement in the investigation. Documents have already described how Aiona Aka was in a relationship with Santos for six years. The couple had a son two years ago.
During much of the six years, Santos physically abused Aiona Aka, the documents said. A restraining order keeping Santos away from Aiona Aka and her son was in effect when the killing took place.
But on the day after Halloween, Aiona Aka went to see Santos, apparently to pick up her son, who was illegally in Santos' custody, according to documents.
When Santos was arrested, he confessed to shooting Aiona Aka in the Panaewa Forest area south of Hilo while their son was present. He then burned Aiona Aka's car with her body in it.