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Suspect in robbery
of elderly woman
blames codefendant

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By Debra Barayuga
Star-Bulletin

One of two men accused of breaking into a Pohakupu home, handcuffing and robbing the 82-year-old resident, admitted they did it but the man blamed the other for planning it.

Honolulu Police Detective Hank Nobriga yesterday testified that Kawika Crites-Burgess claimed it was Evan Lowther's idea to target the home of Momoye Sakata, a widow who lived by herself.

Crites-Burgess told Nobriga that Lowther had planned it for a couple weeks.

"He said Evan knew about the house because his grandma lived a few houses away," Nobriga said.

Crites-Burgess also told police that Lowther was the one who struck Sakata and it was Lowther's handcuffs that were used to restrain her after she fell to the ground.

Crites-Burgess, who turned 20 yesterday and Lowther, 18, are both charged with first-degree burglary, second-degree robbery and kidnapping in the Aug. 21 incident. Both are being held on $250,000 bail.

District Judge Fa'auuga To'oto'o ruled yesterday there was probable cause that the two committed the offenses and sent the case to Circuit Court, where they will be arraigned Sept. 14.

To'oto'o also ordered the two defendants, their families and friends to make no contact with Sakata.

Sakata suffered a fractured left wrist after a male dressed in dark clothing and white socks shoved her to the ground. She had awakened about 5 a.m. to see a dark figure leaving her bedroom and got up to investigate.

As she headed to the living room, Sakata said she saw her front door and screen door gaping open. Just then the dark figure she saw in her bedroom walked in through the door and pushed her "hard enough that I flew four to five feet away," Sakata said.

She said she doesn't know how she injured her left hand but she could feel it hurting after she hit the ground.

She said the unidentified person then cuffed her and said in a male voice, "If you keep still, we won't hurt you anymore." The man also threw a washcloth on her face.

Another figure, also dressed in black and wearing white socks, entered the house and went to her bedroom, returning later with two suitcases. The person who had shoved her returned to check on her several times but she tried to remain as still as she could and closed her eyes, pretending she was "out," she said.

The two men were in her house about 20 minutes before leaving with the two suitcases, she said. After they left, she couldn't find her cordless phone so went next door and asked a neighbor to call police.

She later discovered that besides taking the two suitcases, the intruders had taken her purse containing keys, money and credit cards and emptied her jewelry box.

Crites-Burgess told Nobriga that he and Lowther had driven to the Ulupalakua Street home early that morning and parked outside.

He said Lowther removed some louvers, went inside the home and unlocked the front door to let him in.

After the robbery, the two went to Lowther's home and separated the jewelry and valuables, Crites-Burgess told Nobriga.

Crites-Burgess said Lowther dumped the suitcases filled with clothing and some of Sakata's personal belongings into Kaelepulu Stream near where Lowther lived. Crites-Burgess disposed of a trash bag filled with some items taken in the robbery at a Dumpster at Aikahi Shopping Center.

Two alert teens witnessed someone in a car on Aug. 22 dumping two suitcases into the canal and took down the license plate for police. The car, registered to Lowther, was traced to his Akumu Street home. Both men were arrested at Lowther's home on Aug. 23. The suitcases and the trash bag were recovered and items found inside were identified by Sakata.