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Hawaii News

Mom was first to attack, suspect in killing says

The Maui man accused of killing his mother told police she tried to stab him with a knife and hit him with a bat during an argument, authorities said.

The tip of a knife was found in Kimberly Vinuya’s skull, police said. When officers found her Monday in the single-room Kahu­lui home she shared with her son, she had deep cuts to her back, face, hands and head, The Maui News reported Friday.

Her son, Keoni Vinuya Tomas, is being held on $1 million bail. He couldn’t be reached for comment on the allegations at Maui Community Correctional Center. He was expected to receive a court-appointed attorney.

On Tuesday, during questioning by a detective, Tomas said that during the argument, he took the knife and bat from his mother. He said he stabbed her all over her body and clubbed her with the bat.

At the scene, a detective reported seeing a "large amount of very low blood splatter, suggesting blunt-force trauma while the victim was on the ground," according to a police affidavit filed in court. There was also blood splatter on the ceiling and walls, police said.

When Tomas was arrested, police said he had two bloody folding knives — one of them with the tip broken. Police found in a trash container what appeared to be bloodied underwear, black pants and a club used for fishing.

Tomas is also being investigated for the January stabbing death of his aunt, Gail Otsuka, 61, for which he had been released pending further investigation.

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