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Families of slain The man who allegedly shot his girlfriend to death at Ala Moana Center Saturday night lived only for his baby girl and was depressed about not seeing her, his family told the Star-Bulletin today.
parents tell two
sides of story
Father was devoted, one
Officer on leave
side says; others say
mother was threatenedBy Treena Shapiro and Leila Fujimori
Star-Bulletin"Michell was like a mother to the baby. He takes care of the baby ever since she was born," said Johnny Lomives, his brother-in-law. "He's not the troublemaking kind."
However, the family of Cherry Ann Domingo, who was fatally shot in the head, told her mother that Udani, 26, had threatened to kill her if he saw her with another man.
Cherry Ann, 25, hadn't started dating again since breaking up with Udani in October or November and didn't take his threats seriously, her mother, Tessie Domingo, said yesterday. She had told him to "go ahead."
But at about 10 p.m. Saturday in the Ala Moana Center parking lot, Udani apparently shot Cherry Ann with a sawed-off shotgun and fired several shots at police before they fired back as many as 20 rounds, killing him.Police Chief Lee Donohue said the five officers involved, ranging in age from 29 to 46, are on administrative leave until cleared for duty, which is normal procedure.
In the aftermath, the two families gave differing accounts of the events leading up to the tragedy.
Cherry Ann had been worried enough to take out a temporary restraining order on Udani after he allegedly tried to strangle her outside the Pipeline Cafe on Jan. 9, but Donohue said officers hadn't been able to locate him to serve it. Their last attempt was on Saturday, he said.
Cherry Ann's sister Trisha, 19, said today, "They could have done a better job. They could have tried to find out where he lived."
Tessie Domingo said the strangling episode was the only prior incident of abuse she had been aware of. "He didn't show any temper or anything in this house," she said yesterday in the Waipahu home Cherry Ann shared with her parents and sister. Udani, who was unemployed and living periodically with his sister and brother-in-law in Mililani, had also lived with the family while the couple was together.
However, Trisha said the couple had started fighting a week before Thanksgiving. Udani had wanted to get married, she said, but Cherry Ann believed Udani was just freeloading. Udani would tell her, "I'm going to take all your money. I'm going to ruin your life," Trisha said.
Other arguments erupted because Udani was angry that his name wasn't on their daughter's birth certificate, but at the same time he wasn't willing to pay child support, Trisha said.
Tessie had been expecting Udani to stop by the house on Saturday night to say goodbye to their 1-year-old daughter, Leeona Domingo-Udani, because he had told Cherry Ann he was leaving for Alaska on Tuesday.
However, Udani planned to buy a one-way ticket yesterday to San Jose, Calif., where he had a job lined up with another brother-in-law, Lomives said.
When Udani didn't show up at the Domingo home and Cherry Ann didn't come home after work, Tessie said she stayed up all night. "I kept on paging her cellular phone," she said.
At 5:30 a.m. yesterday, Tessie said a friend called and asked about Cherry Ann, but although the friend said she was shaking, she didn't reveal the reason. Tessie said she thought "my God, probably something's happened" and about a half-hour later, her fears were confirmed when the medical examiner called.
For Wilma and Johnny Lomives, however, Udani was nothing like the man described in the news media. Lomives said his wife was shocked by the allegations in today's morning paper that Udani was abusive.
"A lot of what's written there is not true," he said. "He didn't have a drinking problem. But for two weeks, he's been depressed."
He said the couple's fights were always over their child. On Saturday, he said, Udani received a call at their home to pick up Leeona. Udani left that night without his wallet and cigarettes and wore just a T-shirt and shorts.
That was the last the family saw of him.
Earlier that day, he had been gathering up all his daughter's toys to drop off at the Domingo's Waipahu home, Lomives said. He had been crying and was depressed because he hadn't seen Leeona for a week, he said.
After he left, he called Wilma from KMart, where he had gone to pick up a doll for Leeona.
Lomives said he didn't know where Udani got the gun, but his intent was only to pick up Leeona.
He said he assumes that he went to pick up Leeona at Domingo's house and was told he couldn't have the baby.
Three weeks ago, the family had thrown a first birthday party for Leeona at the Halekoa Hotel. Udani wasn't there, but had held his own party for the child.
Cherry Ann had been planning to file for full custody of Leeona, who will now live with her grandparents.
Police are investigating what caused a police officer to shoot a 34-year-old Honolulu man in the neck early yesterday morning. Police officer put
on leave while
shooting investigatedThe case started with a robbery
threat reported at Mililani Town CenterBy Treena Shapiro
Star-BulletinPolice Chief Lee Donohue said the officer had been called to Mililani Town Center after a robber demanded money then left saying he would return in an hour.
About 2:30 a.m., while the officer was waiting to see if the robber would return, the victim rode in on a motorcycle. When the officer ran the bike's registration, he learned it was stolen.
The officer pursued the victim into the Mililani Mauka area and at the end of the Meheula Parkway he found the bike down on its side and "saw the male crouched behind a mound, reaching into a bag," Donohue said.
The officer fired one shot, which went through the man's neck and lodged in his shoulder. Police had not yet obtained a search warrant to determine whether there was a weapon in the victim's fanny pack.
The officer, 29, with nine years experience, will remain on administrative leave until cleared by the Internal Affairs Division, Donohue said.
Donohue also said it wasn't known whether the man who was shot is the person who planned to rob the shopping center.
The victim, who had one prior conviction for theft, was transported to Queen's Medical Center and was in guarded condition yesterday, Donohue said.