StarBulletin.com

Man faces murder case in Waikiki Beach death


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POSTED: Friday, October 09, 2009

Police arrested a 31-year-old man yesterday in connection with the killing of a New Mexico woman last week at Waikiki Beach.

Aaron M. Susa, 31, was booked at the main station on suspicion of second-degree murder at 4:38 p.m., said Honolulu police Maj. Clayton Kau.

Susa was originally booked only for two outstanding traffic warrants and a revocation warrant following his release from a hospital yesterday afternoon. He was being held on $20,230 bail.

Kau would not address the evidence against Susa because he said the case is ongoing.

Over the weekend, police named Susa as a person of interest in the death of Rio Rancho resident Bryanna Antone. She had been visiting Honolulu to celebrate her 25th birthday while her mother attended the 150th anniversary of the American Dental Association, which registered more than 26,000.

; Less than 24 hours before Antone's death, Susa was released from prison, where he had been serving time for probation violation, the state Department of Public Safety said.

Police said that at about 1:40 a.m. Friday, Susa was seen with Antone leaving the Ohana Waikiki West Hotel. About four hours later a jogger found her naked body in the water fronting the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

On Monday police found Susa hiding in some bushes in Makiki and turned him over to a hospital because he complained of an illness.

Antone's killing drew more than 100 people to a memorial Mass in Honolulu on Wednesday.

Antone, who was a member of the Navajo Nation, had aspirations of entering the film industry and recently co-directed the short film “;Edgar's Journey,”; her friend Kim Gleason told the Albuquerque Journal.

Gleason told the paper that Antone had worked as an extra in several films shot in New Mexico and was interested in acting, directing and producing.