The 30-year-old Pahoa woman who was driving the van when an armed fugitive inside was shot and killed at a shopping center parking lot faces charges for allegedly aiding the suspect.
Kaiini Febo-Santiago was charged at 10:35 p.m. Thursday with second-degree hindering prosecution. She posted $500 bail and was released.
An autopsy conducted Thursday on Scottie Yanagawa, 29, who died Tuesday after police said he fired on them, determined that he died from a gunshot wound to the chest.
Hawaii island police said they were looking for Yanagawa and initiated a traffic stop on a Toyota minivan in the parking lot of a shopping center on the 300 block of East Makaala Street. Yanagawa was wanted for his alleged involvement in a shooting in the Honolii area Jan. 31 and for escaping from the Hale Nani correctional facility Nov. 19.
Police said they ordered Yanagawa and Febo-Santiago out of the vehicle, and while exiting the passenger side Yanagawa fired at them. Four police officers returned fire, killing Yanagawa.
Febo-Santiago was uninjured and arrested at the scene for allegedly aiding a fugitive.
Yanagawa’s death occurred four days after Ronald Barawis Jr., 38, of Kailua-Kona was shot and killed by police officers at the McDonald’s restaurant in the Puainako Town Center.
Police on Monday issued a wanted bulletin saying Yanagawa, who was serving time for burglary and felony theft, was wanted for his alleged involvement in a Jan. 31 shooting near Honolii Beach in Hilo. The bulletin described Yanagawa as “armed and dangerous.”
Barawis was wanted for violating his parole and for questioning in connection with allegedly trying to run down a police officer with a car Jan. 20 in Kona. He had a shotgun, rifle and two semi-automatic handguns in the 1991 Honda sedan he was driving.
A 28-year-old woman in the front passenger seat of Barawis’ car was shot in the face. She was taken to the Queen’s Medical Center. She hasn’t been arrested or charged with any crime, and police have not released her name.
The four officers involved in Yanagawa’s shooting and the three involved in Barawis’ shooting are on paid administrative leave.
In both cases police are conducting criminal investigations, and the Office of Professional Standards is conducting an administrative investigation — standard practice in a police-involved shooting.
Last year there were four police-involved shootings on Hawaii island, none fatal. All were in East Hawaii, and the victims were motorists who allegedly drove toward an officer or officers.
