StarBulletin.com

Trial of man accused in shooting to proceed


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POSTED: Friday, May 07, 2010

A state district judge found probable cause yesterday to try a 43-year-old father for attempted second-degree murder and confirmed his bail at $250,000.

Solomon Silva's next court appearance will be in Circuit Court on May 20.

As Silva was led out of court, manacled at the ankles and dressed in a T-shirt, shorts and slippers, he asked a favor of his family members in the gallery: for them to remember his glasses when they next visit.

One of his two sons in the gallery answered, “;Bye, Dad, love you.”;

Silva is accused of shooting David Pedro, 23, several times and shooting at, but missing, Coety Haili on Wailepo Place shortly after 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

The night before, Haili was burning rubber in a car along a street in Kailua, said Detective Victor Lau, and neighborhood resident Kaipo Tuupoina asked him to stop because his children were sleeping. That led to a fight between the two.

In an attempt to resolve ill feelings, a meeting was arranged on Saturday between Tuupoina, who is the boyfriend of Silva's daughter Naomi, and Haili.

Also attending the meeting on Wailepo Place Saturday morning were Haili's father-in-law, Sam Dilliner, who grew up with Silva. Dilliner drove Pedro, Haili and another person to the meeting with Silva and Tuupoina.

Dilliner said he thought the conflict would be easily “;squashed”; and planned to spend the rest of his day with his 4-year-old daughter, whom he brought along.

After pulling up in his SUV, Dilliner left the engine running with his daughter inside and told Pedro to get into the driver's seat to watch the car and the girl.

But then the situation took a sudden turn.

Naomi Silva started yelling about Haili hitting Tuupoina the night before. Haili, who is about 300 pounds, yelled back, Dilliner said.

“;I was yelling, 'No, we're not here for that.' Basically, nobody heard what I said,”; he said.

Someone hit Haili from the side, and “;it was all out of control,”; Dilliner said. “;I hadn't moved already, I was stunned.”;

Solomon Silva's attorney, Nelson Goo, said Pedro had pushed Silva, causing him to injure his elbows and knees.

Moments later, Dilliner saw Silva run from an apartment with a gun in his right hand.

“;He aimed at David and he shot him,”; he said. “;I heard the first shot, then it was a whole bunch of shots.”;

With Pedro lying face down, Silva fired at Haili, even shooting through the window of a truck, as Haili dodged from behind, Dilliner said.

“;Everybody was screaming,”; he recalled.

Pedro made it back into the SUV, and Dilliner saw holes in his back and shoulder. He took him to the emergency room.

Lau, who spoke with Pedro's doctor, said Pedro could have died but will be leaving the hospital in about a week. He had gunshot wounds to his left shoulder, right upper back, back side of the abdomen, inner left thigh, right buttock and foot.