A 25-year-old man diagnosed with schizophrenia was indicted yesterday in connection with the fatal stabbing of a Waianae High School teacher.

  Mental Experts Speak About Accused Fauatea

 

Mental health experts explain why some situations are complicated and why they can’t just lock up mental patients.

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An Oahu grand jury indicted Tittleman Fauatea on charges of second-degree murder in the stabbing Friday of Asa Yamashita at the Ewa Town Center. He is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.

Court records show that Fauatea has been hospitalized several times in Hawaii and California for mental illness.

According to records, he told a doctor at the Hawaii State Hospital in August, following his arrest for criminal trespassing at a Kahaluu convenience store, that the television talks to him and that he heard voices.

Within two months of his evaluation, he also was observed having “;hypersexual”; behavior — flirting inappropriately with most of the female staff and patients in the ward at the state hospital.

Records also stated Fauatea had several instances where “;he had lost control and either struck or attempted to strike fellow patients.”;

While living with his sister in California for a few months in 2003, she initially kicked him out of her home after he threatened to kill her children. He also made multiple 911 calls falsely telling dispatchers that his sister was dead in her bed.

Before he was hospitalized at the state hospital, Fauatea had three psychiatric hospitalizations in California and one at Kahi Mohala Behavioral Healthcare in Ewa Beach. During those times, he displayed “;verbally and physically assaultive behavior,”; according to a doctor's evaluation in court records.

Further psychiatric evaluation reports state, “;He had delusional content, paranoia, auditory and visual hallucinations, bizarre behaviors, self talk and inappropriate sexual behavior (that is, staring at girls, asking young children at the laundromat for their phone numbers and touching himself in public).”;

Court records indicate Fauatea, who was born in Utah and raised in Hawaii, graduated with a certificate from Moanalua High School in 2002.

Last year, he was charged with harassment involving a woman at an Ewa Beach recreation center at 91-1037 Kamailio St.

On June 8, Fauatea allegedly walked up to the woman, who was in the swimming pool area, stood less than two inches in front of her and stared at her chest. The woman turned to ignore him, but he continued to get closer to her. She told Fauatea to leave but he refused. He continued harassing the woman for 10 minutes, scaring her. Fauatea served six days in jail for the offense, considered a misdemeanor.

Two months later, Fauatea was charged for second-degree criminal trespassing after he refused to leave a 7-Eleven store at 47-515 Kamehameha Highway in Kahaluu. Court documents stated Fauatea headed to the store with a suitcase and asked the clerk for food. When the clerk refused, Fauatea placed his suitcase near the doorway and sat down, partially blocking the store's entrance door. The clerk asked him multiple times to leave, but he refused.

Fauatea also has four previous arrests in Las Vegas which include a domestic violence offense.