Waikoloa man to stand trial for attempted murder

A 34-year-old Waikoloa man will stand trial on charges of attempted murder and assault in connection with a violent parking lot confrontation last month in Waikoloa Village.

Aaron Nakamoto will enter his pleas to attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and second-degree assault on Monday before 3rd Circuit Court Chief Judge Ronald Ibarra in Kona.

South Kohala District Court Judge Melvin H. Fujino, following the second day of a preliminary hearing for Nakamoto on Friday, found the state had presented sufficient evidence to transfer the charges to 3rd Circuit Court. Nakamoto remains on supervised release with conditions of a 24-hour curfew and electronic monitoring.

If convicted of attempted second-degree murder, a Class A felony, Nakamoto faces up to life in prison with the possibility of parole and fines up to $50,000, according to Hawaii Revised Statutes.

The charges stem from an Oct. 12 incident in which Nakamoto allegedly stabbed Hanna Luepkes and Carli Sugimoto in a parking lot confrontation outside Waikoloa Village Market. On Oct. 30, the first day of the two-day preliminary hearing, four people — including both victims, a witness and a Hawaii County police officer — testified.

Both victims testified having exchanged words with Nakamoto inside Pueo’s Osteria restaurant. After leaving, both said Luepkes approached and threw the first punch, before Nakamoto overpowered Luepkes and straddled her while the two exchanged punches. Sugimoto then got involved, saying she tried to get Nakamoto off her friend. The fight ended when someone not involved approached.

Sugimoto said she suffered a black eye, a centimeter-deep stab wound to her chest and a stab wound to her upper left arm. Luepkes said her “throat was slit” and she suffered a cut to the right side of her face that extended from her eyelid to the tip of her ear. Her shoulder and neck area were also cut.

During the second day of the preliminary hearing that continued Friday, North Hawaii Community Hospital Emergency Room Physician Tracey Banks-Greczanik, who treated Luepkes and Sugimoto, Hawaii Police Department Detective Shawn Tingle, Pueo’s bartender Jesse Alinder and police Officer Kacey Ferreira took the stand.

Banks-Greczanik, who works at Hilo Medical Center, North Hawaii Community Hospital and Hale Hoola in Honokaa, described the injuries to both women as life threatening, prompting her to activate a “full trauma” team. A “full trauma” team, she said, immediately calls in a surgeon, as well as the other components of treatment such as laboratory work, CT scan and X-ray.

Tingle testified solely about surveillance video from the bar area, which he said did not show Nakamoto, but did show the women walk toward him on their way out. The bartender, Alinder, who said he was a friend of Luepkes, but not outside Pueo’s, testified about Nakamoto’s actions inside the restaurant. He said Nakamoto became “loud” and had stood up to “argue” and was eventually asked to leave.

Ferreira took the stand last, questioned by Nakamoto’s attorney Robert Kim about his investigation, his friendship with Luepkes and comments he made on Facebook about the case.

Ferreira, assigned to the South Kohala District since 2009, said he was not dispatched to the call, but went to the scene after Pueo’s owner Chef James Babian called him on his cellphone to check the area because of a “male party there that was causing some problems.” While on his way to the restaurant, two other units — not him — were dispatched to an assault there. He said he investigated the incident, which included interviewing a witness, who he said he knew but was not a friend, and accompanying officers to the suspect’s home.

When Kim asked about posts he made on Facebook about the case, including Nakamoto getting “what’s coming to him,” and “it’s an open and shut case,” he said Hanna was a friend/acquaintance and that they were not written to her but “one of her friends.”

He also said the department’s General Orders only prohibit an officer from being involved in an investigation of a family member, not a friend.