Newswatch
Mildred Costa's 38-year-old son, Peter, is dead, his ashes spread in the Koolau Mountains after Harrison shot him in 1994.
The two mothers embraced yesterday after Circuit Judge Melvin Soong sentenced Harrison to a life term with a mandatory minimum of 30 years before he is eligible for parole.
Both men had taken drugs on Oct. 18, 1994, the day Harrison shot Costa at Reid's Auto Body and Collision in Kailua.
Harrison's mandatory sentence stems from his record as a repeat offender in which previous juries convicted him of at least three felonies, including thefts and burglaries. He pleaded guilty to two first-degree robberies before the Oct. 18 killing. He will be sentenced for the robberies in December.
One of two signs stolen yesterday points the way to
historic Haleiwa, before it was snatched.
Photo by Ron Valencia, special to the Star-Bulletin
Two brightly painted signs at the entrance to the town were stolen yesterday, a blow to struggling shop owners.
A controversial, 2.3-mile bypass road was completed last October, diverting 60 percent of the traffic that once funneled through Haleiwa.
The blue, white and purple three-dimensional signs, 5 feet high and 7 feet wide, showed a surfer and hibiscus flowers, and welcomed motorists to Haleiwa.
Between 1 and 5 a.m. yesterday, thieves apparently sheared off bolts to remove the signs, leaving only the poles.
About 35 business people donated $50 to $1,000 each for the project and community volunteers helped with the installation in July. A North Shore artist spent four months making the signs.
The prehensile-tailed tree skink, a type of lizard native to the Solomon Islands, was found crawling in the aircraft's cabin on Sunday. It was turned over to the state Department of Agriculture upon arrival at Honolulu Airport.
The skink, which has a long, shiny body, smooth scales and short legs, is illegal in Hawaii. It grows up to 32 inches in length and feeds on fruits and vegetables with a preference for taro and pepper vines, a Honolulu Zoo spokesman said.
Those caught with an illegal animal face up to a $25,000 fine and a year in jail.
The victim, a 30-year-old Ewa Beach man, suffered head injuries and was in fair condition today in Queen's Hospital.
The suspect, 34, allegedly approached the victim, who was staffing a hot dog cart at 94-1534 Waipahu St., around 4:15 p.m. yesterday and began arguing with him, police said.
He allegedly punched the vendor and began hitting him with the hammer until he handed over his watch and car keys. Officers arrested the suspect as he was about to leave.
Police are seeking a warrant to search the suspect's car after they spotted a handgun inside.
Bounchanh Thammavongsa, 62, of Old Plantation Road in Waianae, allegedly fired a shot into the bushes Sunday night before threatening her, police said. The girl was not injured.
Thammavongsa is being held on $25,000 bail.
- Two men charged with auto theft
- Mililani wife charged with threatening husband