Extradition hearing set for state hospital escapee

A California Superior Court judge on Tuesday confirmed the identity of Hawaii State Hospital escapee Randall Saito, allowing prosecutors to move forward with extradition proceedings.

Saito, who was acquitted of murder by reason of insanity, walked out of the psychiatric hospital on Nov. 12, caught a cab to Lagoon Drive and chartered a flight to Maui. He then boarded a commercial flight to California. Deputy sheriffs captured Saito, who had been considered dangerous, three days later in Stockton after they received a tip from a cab company. His bail was set at $500,000.

Diagnosed with sexual sadism and necrophilia, Saito had been committed to the state hospital since 1981.

Saito first appeared in court in California on Nov. 27 but would not confirm his identity ahead of his extradition hearing. Judge Michael Mulvihill confirmed his identity via mug shot, fingerprint records and other documents provided by Hawaii authorities.

Mulvihill scheduled a hearing for Dec. 22 for the receipt of a warrant by Gov. David Ige on Saito’s extradition, according to Deputy District Attorney Robert Himelblau of the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office.

The date for Saito’s extradition has yet to be determined. Joshua Wisch, spokesman for the Hawaii attorney general’s office, said the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office is working closely with local officials.

Saito was acquitted by reason of insanity in the 1979 murder of a 29-year-old woman at Ala Moana Center. In the unprovoked attack, Saito shot Sandra Yamashiro at random with a pellet rifle in the shopping center’s parking lot. He then repeatedly stabbed her with a knife.

HPD won’t take guns from medical pot users

The Honolulu Police Department will not enforce a controversial policy requiring legal marijuana patients to turn in their guns.

The department issued a notice Tuesday, saying it is consulting with other governmental agencies, as well as reviewing recent court rulings regarding the issue. HPD said it will, however, continue to deny new firearm permits to applicants with medical marijuana cards.

“This is a new area of concern for cities across the country, and we in Honolulu want to develop a policy that’s legally sound and serves our community,” HPD Chief Susan Ballard said in a news release. “Formulating the policy will take time, but we want to do it right.”

The reconsideration follows community backlash since the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported last week that HPD had sent letters to at least 30 medical cannabis users who are permitted gun owners telling them to surrender their firearms.

The letters informed gun owners they had 30 days to bring in or transfer all firearms.