Man held in Ala Wai
woman’s fatal stabbing

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By Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.com

Police arrested a 39-year-old Waikiki man in the stabbing death of a woman whose nude body was found on the floor of her studio apartment yesterday morning.

The suspect and the victim both lived on the fifth floor of the Pacific International Condominium at 2509 Ala Wai Blvd.

Police were called to apartment 505 at about 5:07 a.m. after friends of the victim discovered the body of the 38-year-old woman with numerous stab wounds to her upper torso, said police homicide Lt. Bill Kato.

Resident manager Gasio Matuu said he had been monitoring the apartment because of "suspicious" activity in the unit.

Matuu said he reviewed surveillance tapes from last night. He said several people went in and out of the apartment and the suspect was the last person to enter and leave the unit.

"The lady never came out," he said.

Another woman living in the building had previously complained that the suspect had harassed her, Matuu said.

Several residents say prostitution is a problem in the building.

"A lot of people don't live here; they just do business here," said one resident.

Neighbor Linda Johnson said she awoke to yelling at about 1:50 a.m.

She and her boyfriend, Tiger Nakihei, just moved into the building four days ago, and the suspect, who seemed friendly, had introduced himself.

"We were pretty shocked to see him handcuffed," Nakihei said.

"I'm afraid to stay here," Johnson said. "We plan to move."