Fire leaves 3 homeless, causes $375,000 in damage

Three people were left homeless yesterday after fire destroyed their home in a two-story duplex in Salt Lake.

The fire started at about 1:40 p.m. at 922 Kahikolu Place and engulfed the left-side unit of the two-story duplex, said Honolulu fire Capt. Terry Seelig.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Seelig said the fire caused $375,000 in damage and $5,000 damage to the siding of the neighboring unit at 924 Kahikolu St.

Two men and one woman who live at the home were not there at the time. A man in the neighboring unit escaped, Seelig said.

Firefighters arrived in five minutes and used foam to bring the blaze under control in two minutes. About 20 firefighters extinguished the fire at 3:04 p.m.

3 people charged in attack on man near health center

Authorities charged an 18-year-old woman and two Schofield Barracks soldiers, ages 20 and 25, with second-degree attempted murder of a 25-year-old man in front of the Lanakila Health Center in Kalihi.

Police arrested Hazel Davis on Tuesday and the two soldiers, Ray N. Puga and Ramon A. Alcantara, on Monday.

The victim, Jose Abrante, was found bleeding heavily from his head on Sunday, police said.

He was taken in critical condition to the Queen's Medical Center with a stab wound to his neck and multiple hematomas on his head from being hit by a hammer.

Girlfriend's cheating cited in killing

A forensic psychiatrist testified that a 20-year-old Big Island man lost control of his emotions when he discovered his girlfriend having sex with another man.

The defendant, Malaki McBride, is on trial in Hilo Circuit Court in February 2007 shotgun slaying of Tyrone Torres, 21.

Dr. Sheila Wendler, an Oahu-based psychiatrist, testified Wednesday that McBride's discovery of another man having sex with his girlfriend, Adri Sabaratnam, “;triggered, unfortunately, the death of Mr. Torres.”;

McBride, who has admitted to the killing, was 17 at the time but is being tried as an adult.

According to a report yesterday in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, defense attorney Kay Iopa contends that the killing was manslaughter, not murder, because McBride was suffering from extreme mental or emotional distress.

Deputy Prosecutor Mike Kagami described McBride earlier as “;jealous and angry,”; and said that he intentionally and maliciously “;hunted down and shot Tyrone Torres,”; the newspaper said.