Video captures suspect
in apartment shooting

The 32-year-old Waimanalo man charged in the Dec. 22 shooting death of a Makiki man was caught on the victim's surveillance video, according to court papers.

Police recovered the video recorder from Robert E. Lee's home a day after he was shot.

In the video, Donny Hiramoto was seen with his right hand inside a shoulder bag while walking around the scene of the shooting. He appeared to be hiding something, according to a police affidavit.

Hiramoto was later seen on the video, timed at 8:02 p.m. and dated Dec. 22, running on the makai side of the 1555 Pensacola St. apartment building.

Lee, the building's owner and resident manager, was killed by a gunshot to the head.

Hiramoto owed Lee money from a gambling debt, said police, who recovered gambling records from Lee's apartment.

Lee's wife, Jane, told police that she overheard her husband talking on his cell phone to someone named "Donny," the court document said. Lee got the call as he drove to Waimanalo to meet with Hiramoto about the gambling debt.

Hiramoto told Lee he was not in Waimanalo and would meet him at his Pensacola Street apartment, Jane Lee told police.

Police said Hiramoto admitted talking to Lee on Dec. 22 and agreeing to meet at the apartment, but said he never intended to go since he did not have the money he owed Lee. Hiramoto told police he went Christmas shopping instead.

Police have not recovered the handgun from the shooting. Hiramoto's preliminary hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. Monday at Honolulu District Court.

He is being held in lieu of $175,000 bail.