Murder defendant has long criminal record
Kelii Acasia Jr., charged with the murder Sunday of a good Samaritan during a robbery in Waikiki, has a long criminal record and was wanted by police at the time of the attack.
Acasia is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 58-year-old Ned Nakoa Jr. Witnesses told police Acasia punched and kicked Nakoa in the head when Nakoa tried to stop a fight between Acasia and a Kaneohe Marine whose girlfriend's purse had been snatched away by Acasia's companion Benjamin Pada, 18.
Pada is charged with second-degree robbery and second-degree assault.
Pada is the son of Kimberly Pada and older brother of Reubyne Buentipo Jr., according to his great-aunt Betty Pada. Kimberly Pada is serving a 20-year prison term for attempted manslaughter for abusing 4-year-old Buentipo in 1997. The boy slipped into a coma from the abuse and has since remained in a vegetative state in a convalescent home.
On March 27 in Acasia's case involving sex assault, Circuit Judge Steven Alm issued a $20,000 bench warrant for Acasia's arrest for failure to show up for a court hearing. The hearing was to prepare and enroll Acasia in the HOPE Probation program for convicts at high risk of violating probation.
Acasia, 19, was on probation for sexually assaulting a boy with an object at Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility on Aug. 29, 2005, according to court records. He was 17 at the time.
Authorities charged him with first-degree sexual assault as an adult April 17, 2006, after Family Court waived jurisdiction. Acasia pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault the following month. As part of his plea agreement, Acasia was to have registered as a sex offender. He has yet to register, according to the city Prosecutor's Office.
Family Court Senior Judge Frances Q.F. Wong sentenced Acasia to five years' probation and one year's imprisonment July 20, 2006.
Circuit Judge Derrick Chan issued a $10,000 bench warrant for Acasia's arrest May 2 for violating his probation by failing to report to his probation officer.
Honolulu police arrested him for auto theft in Waianae on May 15, 2007, for driving a car that had been reported stolen the day before. The car also had different license plates.
The state asked Wong to revoke Acasia's probation. She resentenced him on July 3 last year to 10 years in prison.
Three months later, Acasia asked Wong to reconsider and reduce the sentence. His lawyer Keith Shigetomi wrote, "Since being incarcerated at Halawa Correctional Facility for the first time, defendant has fully realized that he squandered the previous opportunity to succeed on probation."
Also, the Prosecutor's Office said it dropped the auto theft charge because the daughter of the car owner had given Acasia permission to drive the car.
Wong resentenced Acasia to five years' probation March 4.