Murder suspected
on video image

The attorney for a construction worker says a surveillance video that reportedly puts his client at the scene of a Makiki fatal shooting is not enough evidence to support a murder charge.

But District Judge Leslie Hayashi ruled yesterday there was probable cause that Donny Hiramoto had committed the crime, and bound him over to Circuit Court for trial. He is expected to be arraigned Jan. 27.

"At the most all they have is a video of someone that looks like Donny in the area around the time, but no crime was committed -- no video, no gun, no real physical evidence to say he committed the act," Jeffrey Hawk, Hiramoto's attorney, said yesterday.

Hiramoto is charged with second-degree murder and firearm offenses in the Dec. 22 slaying of Robert Lee, who lived at and owned the apartment building at 1555 Pensacola St. He and his wife had just returned from a drive and grocery shopping when she heard a loud thud and found him outside slumped on the ground in the carport next to their truck.

At an evidentiary hearing yesterday, police homicide Detective Cheryl Sunia testified that a video recording recovered from Lee's home shows a man carrying a shoulder bag walking in view of the cameras at the back of Lee's building about 7:30 p.m. and in the garage area. About 15 to 20 minutes later, the man appears in the cameras again with his right hand concealed in the bag.

A few minutes before 8:02 p.m., which is when police suspect Lee was shot, the reflection of tail lights is seen on the video -- presumably from Lee's truck as he parks, Sunia said. About 15 seconds later, the same man seen earlier on the video is spotted running Ewa toward Pensacola, she said.

About 8:09 p.m. the video shows two female tenants and the first police officer responding, Sunia said. No one else is seen in the area before police arrive. Police could not find a bullet or weapon at the scene.

James Faria, who testified earlier he was a friend and gambling associate of Lee's and went to school with Hiramoto, identified Hiramoto as the man in the video. Melinda McCoy, Hiramoto's girlfriend, also testified that a still photo of the man in the video appeared to be her boyfriend.

Sunia interviewed Hiramoto on Dec. 29 after Lee's cell phone history showed calls made to and received from Hiramoto in the 40 minutes before Lee was found shot. The records show Lee called Hiramoto at 7:21 p.m. and that he received two calls from him after that.

There were also notes found in Lee's apartment that appeared to be gambling records, one of which indicated Hiramoto owed him $4,500, Sunia said.

Hiramoto admitted placing bets with Lee, borrowing money from Lee in the past and said he owed him $7,000, Sunia said.

Hiramoto denied going to Lee's apartment that night. Although he admitted telling Lee he was going over that night to pay back the money, he told Sunia he had no intention of going because he did not have the money.

Hiramoto said he went Christmas shopping instead at Toys-'R'-Us in Aiea, she said. He produced a time-stamped receipt showing he purchased a playground set at Toys-R-Us at 9:52 p.m. -- less than two hours after Lee was presumably shot.