Royal Kaukani lived in fear of her ex-boyfriend, relatives said.

Yesterday, she was shot dead in broad daylight on the street near her home in Ewa.

The gunman fled, and police immediately sought to question her ex-boyfriend, Toi Albert Nofoa, 31, also known as Toi Nafoa.

He was not named as a suspect, but police arrested him just after 9 last night after cordoning off a stretch of Kalanianaole Highway in Waimanalo. No charges were filed last night.

Kaukani, 25, was shot in the head at about 2:30 p.m. while seated in a black H2 Hummer in the middle of the road near her Kaukolu Place home.

She was taken by ambulance to Hawaii Medical Center West, where paramedics and doctors stabilized her, then was transported to the Queen's Medical Center in critical condition. She was later pronounced dead at Queen's.

According to witnesses, the suspect rode into the neighborhood on a dark-colored Japanese sport bike wearing a dark-colored helmet. He used a handgun and shot Kaukani multiple times, officials said.

Kaukani had been living with her sister, brother-in-law, nieces and nephew for a few months, said her nephew Lance DeFrancia.

Kaukani had been trying to avoid Nofoa, but he had been contacting her and sending her threatening messages, DeFrancia said.

As recent as yesterday morning, police had been looking for Nofoa in areas he was known to frequent because he was considered a threat to the woman's safety, said police Maj. Frank Fujii.

Police said Nofoa had kidnapped Kaukani at gunpoint from her Ko Olina workplace in September, about two months after they broke up.

He then allegedly pulled out his handgun, pointed it at her neck and forced her inside his SUV. He then drove her to Haleiwa, telling her he would kill her and himself, police said. Bystanders at a service station intervened and Nofoa let her go, police said.

    HPD Arrest Nofoa As Ewa Beach Shooting’s Person Of Interest

   

 

Police arrested 31-year-old Albert Toi Nofoa around Waimanalo to question him about the Ewa Beach fatal shooting of a 25-year-old woman.

[Watch]

 

Nofoa had been charged with first-degree terroristic threatening and kidnapping, and was released on $75,000 bail. His only conviction to date was a 2006 petty misdemeanor involving drinking in public.

Eric Rodriguez, 9, was outside with his friend when he saw a man pull up on the side of the road, jump off his motorcycle and start running after someone.

He said he saw the feet of someone on the other side of a black Hummer who was trying to get in the SUV, which was parked in a driveway.

He went inside his home and then heard “;a big boom,”; he said. “;My dad said it was a gunshot.”;

Rodriguez said the man was wearing a multicolored motorcycle helmet with lots of designs, and he never saw the man take it off. Police said the suspect did remove his helmet, then put it back on before fleeing on the motorcycle.

Comedian Augie T, who lives on Kaukolu Way, said he moved into the neighborhood 1 1/2 months ago and already there have been two murders, referring to the stabbing death of Asa Yamashita, 43, at a nearby shopping center, and a murder-suicide up the street.

“;I moved here because I thought it was a safe,”; he said.

Domingo Dikito shot and killed his wife, Della, on April 25, leaving behind four children. Neighbors said the orphaned children moved out of the house a few days ago and moved to Las Vegas.