KEALAKEKUA — Opening statements in the trial for a teen accused in the 2016 rape at Old Kona Airport Park begins today.
On Monday, the court spent the day seating 12 jurors and two alternates for the jury trial of 19-year-old Samuel Latrik. Latrik was indicted in January on charges of three counts of first-degree sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, kidnapping, second-degree robbery, first-degree terroristic threatening and third-degree sexual assault.
Prior to jury selection, Deputy Prosecutor Sheri Lawson informed the court two plea offers were extended to Latrik — one on April 25 and another on June 19. However, both were rejected.
Latrik’s defense counsel James Biven confirmed he had spoken with his client on the first offer. The first offer was that the 19-year-old plead guilty to two counts of first-degree sexual assault, kidnapping and robbery.
Lawson said the dismissed counts could be considered for sentencing. There was agreement with the defense to concurrent sentencing and that Latrik would comply with the sex offender registration requirements.
Lawson said the defense would’ve been allowed to argue for youthful offender during sentencing hearing.
On Monday, Biven told the court Latrik rejected the offer at that time and planned to “fight it.”
The second offer dropped one of the first-degree sexual assault charges and offered a plea deal of first-degree sexual assault, second-degree assault, kidnapping and robbery.
Some of the conditions in the plea agreement were the defendant would’ve been free to argue for youthful offender and the prosecutor’s office wouldn’t provide any written input to the Hawaii Paroling Authority for the minimum term setting in this case. There was also an agreement to serve concurrent sentences with the defense.
Latrik would’ve also been required to comply with the sex offender registration requirements.
Lawson said this offer was also rejected.
Biven added he spoke to Latrik on several different occasions regarding the second plea offer, the latest being Tuesday morning at 8:30.
“He has rejected this offer,” Biven said. “And he has not given me authority to make a counter offer on both offers up to this point.”
Latrik is one of two suspects accused of sexually assaulting a woman on a soccer field at Old Airport in September of 2016. Tyron Sigrah, 18, was arrested in November 2017 in connection to the assault and took the prosecutor’s plea offer, pleading guilty in September to first-degree sexual assault, second-degree assault, kidnapping and second-degree robbery.
Sigrah was sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. The Hawaii Paroling Authority has six months from the teen’s sentencing to set his minimum sentence.
Latrik, 17, and Sigrah, 15, at the time of the incident, are accused of beating and raping a woman at the Kailua-Kona park on Sept. 3, 2016. According to the Hawaii Police Department, two boys approached the woman, punched and sexually assaulted her. Police added the boys fled when confronted by an unidentified person.
Latrik was first arrested in January in connection to the case.
Both teens appeared in family court when they were first charged because they were juveniles at the time of the reported crime. The judge however, waived their cases to adult court proceedings in 3rd Circuit Court.
The jury trial against Latrik is expected to last about two weeks.
Lock him up and throw away the key!