Wahiawa residents escape standoff

Honolulu police, specialized services personnel and military police responded Thursday evening to a barricade situation at Helemano Military Reservation in Wahiawa.

According to witnesses, a car sped into the restricted housing area around 5 p.m. A man and woman reportedly exited the vehicle and entered a residence occupied by a woman, her husband and their 2-year-old daughter.

A neighbor who asked not to be identified said she was driving home when she learned of the situation. After speaking with her husband and checking in with reservation security personnel, the woman called her neighbor, identified as Amber Simmons, and was told that the two suspects had taken shelter in Simmons’ home.

The neighbor, who was still in her car, drove back to the security checkpoint and alerted authorities about the suspect’s whereabouts. She then drove to Simmons’ home, where she said she was able to help Simmons and her daughter safely escape.

“They were begging the husband to take them off (the reservation),” she said of the two suspects. “They were panicking, and they didn’t want to get caught. But the husband said no.”

Simmons’ husband, Daniel, later left the residence, unharmed, on his own.

Law enforcement personnel evacuated the immediate area of the standoff as a precaution.

The neighbor who assisted the Simmons family said Amber Simmons was 36 weeks pregnant and went into labor shortly after she was evacuated from the area and was transported to Tripler Army Medical Center.

Unconfirmed reports indicated the suspects had been involved in a high-speed chase following an attempted home invasion earlier in the day.

The standoff was still ongoing as of Thursday at 9:40 p.m.

Man indicted in girlfriend’s killing

An Oahu grand jury has indicted a 21-year-old man with murder in connection with the death of his 19-year-old girlfriend in Wahiawa.

The jury returned an indictment Wednesday charging Kaniala K. Avilla-Rapoza with second-degree murder. Police found the body of Nelibeth Albert at the Wahiawa Freshwater State Recreation Area on Friday covered by branches and leaves.

Avilla-Rapoza’s arraignment is set for Tuesday at Circuit Court. He remains in custody at the Oahu Community Correctional Center in lieu of $500,000 bail.

Police said Avilla-Rapoza admitted he killed Albert by choking her, according to a court document. He led police down a trail at the Wahiawa Freshwater State Recreation Area to her body.

The court document said Avilla-Rapoza told police he met Albert at the park May 15 and walked down the trail when he choked her with both hands.

Avilla-Rapoza and Albert had been dating for two months but had known one another since they were classmates at Leilehua High School.