Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Saturday, February 27, 1999

Fired housing official
released until trial

Fired city housing official Michael Kahapea will remain free until his arraignment and trial on criminal charges stemming from the city's relocation of Middle Street businesses in the early 1990s.

Circuit Judge Victoria Marks yesterday granted Kahapea supervised release, saying he did not appear to be a flight risk and did not pose a danger to the community.

Kahapea has been free under conditions of release after being indicted in May on 47 counts arising from the Ewa Villages fraud, which allegedly bilked more than $5 million from city relocation funds.

In that case, he is scheduled to go on trial July 12 with six co-defendants.

He was indicted again Feb. 16 on 23 additional charges of theft, forgery, illegal ownership of a business, money laundering and bribery.

The charges stem from the relocation of two businesses from Middle Street to make way for TheBus headquarters.

The city paid $950,000 to move two businesses from Middle Street. However, 75 percent of the cost did not go to work done but allegedly was funneled to Kahapea and three others.

City prosecutors yesterday unsuccessfully argued that Kahapea is much more of a danger to the community because of his alleged involvement in other criminal schemes.

"The likelihood of him getting jail will make him a flight risk," said deputy prosecutor Randall Lee.

Mackey Feary's family sues over his suicide

The family of Mackey Feary has sued the state over the island entertainer's suicide at the Halawa Correctional Facility.

The lawsuit, filed yesterday, accuses the state of gross negligence by contributing to Feary's death last Saturday. It says the prison system was made aware of his suicidal tendencies before he hanged himself in his cell.

Public Safety Director Ted Sakai has said Feary wasn't considered a suicide risk.

Feary left a suicide note that reportedly referred to the judge and prosecutor responsible for sending him back to prison in January for parole violation.

The former member of the group Kalapana was serving a 10-year prison sentence for drug offenses and criminal property damage. He pleaded guilty to the charges in January 1997.

Agency agrees to move planned reservoir site

The Honolulu Board of Water Supply has agreed to move the site of a $12.5 million reservoir from Puu O Ehu Ridge to nearby Pohakapuu.

Residents had been opposed to the board's original proposal, citing the loss of scenic views and an overburdening of the road leading to the site, near Kailua High School.

Andrew Yanoviak, past president of Save Mount Olomana, said another worry was the potential loss of archaeological sites along the ridge.

The City Council had put off a final vote on a special management area use permit for the 4 million-gallon reservoir, and urged water officials to settle the matter with residents.

City Water Manager Cliff Jamile said the new site is not visible from any part of Kailua and will cost about the same amount of money, if not less, to construct.

Water officials expect to call for bids by the end of the year. A Conservation District use permit must be obtained from the state Board of Land and Natural Resources.

Board gives green light to Kapolei court facility

The state Board of Land and Natural Resources has approved the use of Kapolei land for a planned $65 million Family Court and juvenile detention facility.

The board yesterday approved an agreement between the state and landowner Campbell Estate designating 13.5 acres of land for the Judiciary project, which may eventually be expanded to include Circuit and District Courts.

"We are very pleased with the board's decision. It moves us one step closer to making the Kapolei Judiciary Complex a reality," said Michael Broderick, administrative director of the courts.

Some attorneys, concerned about the public's accessibility to the courts, have opposed the site, and some workers objected to having their jobs relocated.

Man faces life in prison after murder conviction

After nearly a day and a half of deliberations, a Circuit Court jury returned a guilty verdict against a man accused of stabbing an acquaintance to death in Kalihi in August 1997.

Lorence Angel Jove, 41, convicted of second-degree murder yesterday, faces life in prison with the possibility of parole when sentenced April 26.

The victim, Tino Fernandez, died from stab wounds that led to massive blood loss.

Despite witnesses placing him at the scene, Jove had claimed he was nowhere in the area and did not stab anyone.

But Jove and Fernandez were dropped off in Kalihi by a friend and were last seen walking together toward Pua Lane, said Deputy Prosecutor "Don" Pacarro.

A police officer in the area also spotted Jove accompanying Fernandez to a Pua Lane home, just minutes before the victim staggered back to the friend's car and said he had been stabbed by Jove.

The motive for the stabbing is unclear.

CORRECTION In Wednesday's sports section, the first names of OIA East player of the year Kristin Fujii and coach of the year Clay Okamura, both from Roosevelt, were misspelled on the OIA Softball All-Star list. The list was provided by the league.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

Husband is charged with murder attempt

Police yesterday charged a 22-year-old man for second-degree attempted murder after his wife sustained serious injuries.

Officers arrived at Kainalu Ortogero's Waialua home Monday and discovered his wife unconscious. She was taken to Wahiawa General Hospital and treated.

She was examined at Queen's Hospital two days later and was found to have possible spinal cord injuries.

Ortogero turned himself in to Wahiawa police and is being held on $500,000 bail.

Missing fisherman's body is recovered

Honolulu Fire Department personnel yesterday recovered the body of a fisherman reported missing Thursday night.

The body of Stanley J. Napierala was taken from waters on the North Shore side of Kaena Point after being spotted by a beach-goer at 4 p.m.

"The victim went in his boat, and it apparently capsized because of rough water," police said.

Police arrest girls in Waipahu school fire

Two Waipahu High School students were arrested yesterday for allegedly setting fires inside a girl's bathroom.

The girls, 14 and 15, were seen starting the fires on Thursday.

Police were notified by school officials yesterday and arrested the girls for first-degree criminal property damage.

Searchers unable to find missing hunter

HILO -- Fire rescue personnel were to resume a search today for hunter Melvin "Billy" Hocson, 53, of Hilo, missing since Thursday when he went hunting with eight dogs in the Panaewa Hawaiian Homes area, officials said.

Hocson's locked truck was found, but a land and helicopter search failed to find him.

Suspicious fire razes vacant house in Hilo

HILO -- Fire of a suspicious origin destroyed a small home in Hawaiian Shores, south of Hilo, shortly after 3 a.m. today, the Fire Department said. The loss was put at $50,000.

The house had been unoccupied for some time, and people frequently loitered there, officials said.

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