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Officer heard Nofoa’s threat to shoot girlfriend ‘in the head’


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POSTED: Thursday, March 19, 2009

An arrest warrant was issued for Toi Nofoa on March 5, 12 days before Nofoa was arrested for questioning in the fatal shooting of his 25-year-old ex-girlfriend Tuesday in Ewa, officials said.

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Nofoa failed to show up in court on March 5 in connection with the alleged Sept. 11 kidnapping of Royal Kaukani and forfeited $75,000 bail, said a spokesman for the Prosecutor's Office.

A day after he failed to show up in court for a second time on Monday, Kaukani was gunned down near her home in Ewa, and Nofoa was arrested on the March 5 warrant and was questioned in connection with the case.

Charges have yet to be filed.

Prosecutors planned to charge Nofoa, 31, with 19 more domestic violence cases allegedly committed against Kaukani since Feb. 8, including violating a protective restraining order, kidnapping, assault, terroristic threatening and felony abuse, but were waiting for police to arrest him, said Jim Fulton, a spokesman for the Prosecutor's Office.

A police affidavit released yesterday details the escalating threats between Nofoa and his ex-girlfriend over the last several weeks.

;[Preview]  Ewa Shooting Victim & Nofoa Have Long History
 

Toi Nofoa has a long history of police encounters, including a list of temporary restraining orders and recorded violence.

Watch  ]

 

According to the affidavit, Nofoa violated a protective restraining order that Kaukani filed against him more than a dozen times last month.

During a phone call on Feb. 25, a police officer heard Nofoa saying on Kaukani's speakerphone that he “;would shoot Kaukani in the head,”; the affidavit said.

Kaukani was shot in the head Tuesday about 2:30 p.m. while seated in a black H2 Hummer near her Kaukolu Place home. She died later that day at the Queen's Medical Center.

Michelle Yu, Honolulu police department spokeswoman, said police had been searching for Nofoa before the shooting.

“;They were out there looking,”; she said. “;They did check areas that he was known to frequent.”;

Nofoa had been out on bail for allegedly kidnapping Kaukani on Sept. 11. According to police, Nofoa had abducted Kaukani at gunpoint from her workplace in Ko Olina. She escaped at a service station in Haleiwa with the help of bystanders.

Nofoa allegedly began threatening and attacking Kaukani again last month.

The affidavit said on Feb. 11 a police officer was called out to the Aiea home of one of Nofoa's relatives to get Nofoa to leave.

After he left, Kaukani told the officer that Nofoa attacked her on Feb. 8 at about 3 a.m., the affidavit said.

Kaukani reported that she had tried to leave the same house, but Nofoa forced her into a bedroom at knifepoint.

Nofoa threw her onto a bed and choked her until she passed out, she said. When she regained consciousness, she noticed blood and a cut on the left side of her head. She reported Nofoa hit her and cut her with the knife.

Police opened cases of kidnapping, second-degree assault and first-degree terroristic threatening.

On Feb. 20 at about 9:45 p.m., Kaukani reported to police that Nofoa had repeatedly called her cell phone and harassed her about not keeping her mouth shut, the affidavit said.

Kaukani told the officer that she had a protective order against Nofoa until Dec. 1, 2028.

Police opened investigations into five protective restraining order violations against Nofoa for five calls that Kaukani answered.

Five days later, police opened more restraining order violations against Nofoa for allegedly calling Kaukani's cell phone and swearing at her. After Kaukani told him to stop, Nofoa called her more than seven times, the report said.

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MAJOR CRIMES IN EWA BEACH

        Nov. 16, 2006: Timothy Adarna, 21, fatally stabbed his stepfather, Robert Ramos, and then burned the body. Adarna was found guilty of arson and pleaded guilty to murder in exchange for sentencing to the equivalent of a manslaughter penalty.
       

May 25, 2007: Karen Ertell, a 51-year-old Ewa Beach resident, was raped and strangled by a teenage neighbor, Vernon Bartley, who was charged as an adult.

       

April 25, 2008: Domingo Dikito, 39, shot and killed his wife, Della Dikito, 38, in the bathroom of their Ewa Beach home. He then went into the garage and shot himself.

       

Sept. 3, 2008: Sgt. 1st Class Lincoln Phillips, 35, is accused of trying to murder his 36-year-old wife, Tara, by bludgeoning her with a hammer early that morning at their Ewa Beach townhouse.

       

Feb. 27: Waianae High School teacher Asa Yamashita, 43, was stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack at the Ewa Town Center. Tittleman Fauatea, 25, is charged with murder in the case.

       

March 17: Royal Kaukani, 25, was shot in the head near her Ewa Beach home and later died. Her ex-boyfriend, Toi Albert Nofoa, was detained for questioning and arrested for not showing up at his trial on charges that he threatened Kaukani.

       

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COUPLE HAD VIOLENT HISTORY

        According to court records, Toi Nofoa and Royal Kaukani had a relationship that erupted in violence beginning sometime in 2006:
       

2006: Kaukani alleges that Nofoa threw her down stairs, pulled her hair and forced her to get into his vehicle.

       

2007: Kaukani and Nofoa have an argument that escalates when he throws her down the stairs and punches her in the face. Kaukani calls police and Nofoa is arrested. Sometime after the alleged assault, the couple get back together.

       

June 15, 2008: Nofoa allegedly attacks Kaukani at Nofoa's brother's house, pulling her hair, throwing her on the bed and punching her in the face.

       

June 16: A judge issues a three-month temporary restraining order barring Nofoa from Kaukani's workplace and from contacting her.

       

Sept. 11: Kaukani states that Nofoa went to her workplace at Ko Olina and forced her at gunpoint to get in his car. She was able to jump out of the car in Haleiwa.

       

Sept. 16: Nofoa is arrested for allegedly kidnapping Kaukani.

       

Sept. 18: A judge issues a protective order banning Nofoa from contacting Kaukani for 20 years.

       

Jan. 9: Kaukani files a motion to dissolve the protective order because the two now want to get married.

       

Jan. 13: Kaukani's motion is denied and Nofoa is ordered to participate in anger management or domestic violence intervention programs.

       

Feb. 8: Kaukani is allegedly held at knifepoint by Nofoa and choked until she loses consciousness.

       

Feb. 11: Police are called after Nofoa refuses to leave an Aiea residence where Kaukani and a relative of Nofoa are trying to change the locks on a black Hummer sport utility vehicle.

       

Feb. 20: Kaukani reports Nofoa violated the protective order by repeatedly calling her cell phone and harassing her, asking why she didn't “;keep her lips shut.”;

       

Feb. 25: Kaukani reports more harassing phone calls by Nofoa. The responding officer is able to listen to one call and hears Nofoa threaten to shoot Kaukani in the head.

       

March 4: Kaukani tells police Nofoa called again from her sister's house in California.

       

March 5: Nofoa fails to appear in court on the charge of kidnapping Kaukani and an arrest warrant is issued.

       

March 17: Kaukani is shot in the head by a gunman in Ewa who flees on a motorcycle. Detectives working on her domestic violence cases inform the District 4 Crime Reduction Unit of their investigation and Nofoa is arrested for the alleged domestic violence incidents.