DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM After Maj. Darryl Perry broke the news to the press yesterday, he took a moment and showed his concern and feelings about the tragedy of 11-year-old Kahealani Indreginal.

Community feels
sympathy and anger
as family’s catastrophe
is shared by all

Hiker discovers girl's body in Aiea
Students tie ribbons of hope hours before discovery
Communication is key to kids' safety

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By Craig Gima
cgima@starbulletin.com

Family and neighbors at the Puuwai Momi housing complex gathered together in a circle about an hour before sunset yesterday, holding hands and grieving while Kahealani Indreginal's aunt said prayers for the 11-year-old.

Two young girls took down posters seeking Indreginal's safe return from a fence outside the housing area at the corner of Salt Lake Boulevard and Kamehameha Highway.

But two large banners remained. One was painted on a child's sheet with "Peanuts" characters like Snoopy and Charlie Brown along the border. The other said, "Please help us bring Kahealani home," and "Pray 4 her."

Police officers, who searched for Indreginal since Wednesday morning, were visibly upset by the news that a girl's body had been discovered at Aiea Loop Trail.

"Our sympathies go out to Kahealani's family and friends," said Maj. Darryl Perry, the commander of the Criminal Investigation Division, at a press conference yesterday afternoon.

Missing persons investigator Joe Self said cases like this affect the entire community, including police. He said strangers have come up to him to express their sympathy and anger.

"It touches close to home. I have granddaughters that age," Self said. "A small child is defenseless, more so a female."

At a nearby shopping center, parents said the case has made them worry a bit more about their children.

Jennifer Agbayani said she reminded her children not to talk to strangers and talked to them about the case. She said her children go to Aiea Elementary School and that her daughter Rashawnda knew Indreginal.

"I told them God will punish those that ruin the earth," Agbayani said.

In class today, "they (teachers) just said bow our heads and think what the last time you saw her and pray for her," Rashawnda Agbayani said.

Self, who will retire from the Police Department in 17 days, said this case is not how he hoped his last days on the job would be.

He said there have been two similar cases in his career that have involved young girls: the unsolved abduction and murder of 8-year-old Roiti Dias in 1980 and the unsolved disappearance of 12-year-old Jiezhao Li just before Valentine's Day in 1988.

"It doesn't get any easier," he said.