A 34-year-old man arrested on suspicion of stabbing the mother of his child and her two other children was released from custody Wednesday.
Brandon Lorenz had been in custody since turning himself in at about 4:15 p.m. Monday for investigation of three counts of first-degree attempted murder and one count of first-degree burglary.
Police said he assaulted a 28-year-old woman, an 8-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy about 5:20 a.m. Monday in Kalihi. The women and her children were taken to the hospital in serious condition.
Friends identified the woman as Megan Isomura.
Police released Lorenz about 4 p.m., pending an investigation, after prosecutors declined to press charges. Lorenz declined comment, but stood next to his attorney, Marcus Landsberg IV, who spoke with media behind police headquarters.
"Our heart goes out to Ms. Isomura as well as her children, and we want to make sure what happens is (police) are able to find the person who actually committed this crime," Landsberg said. "Mr. Lorenz is not guilty in this case, and we thank the Honolulu Police Department for realizing that."
He said Lorenz gave a statement to police, but declined to say what additional information police received that caused them to release Lorenz.
Some information may have come from Isomura, who posted on her Facebook page that Lorenz wasn’t her attacker.
"It wasn’t Brandon. It wasn’t him," Isomura wrote on Tuesday, according to co-worker Lehua Patacsil.
Patacsil, who works with Isomura at Nico’s Pier 38, said many assumed Lorenz was the assailant because it made more sense that he was the suspect than a random attacker. She said Lorenz is Isomura’s ex-boyfriend.
Fe Moana, who lives in the same building as Isomura at Kalihi Valley Homes, said Lorenz and Isomura have one daughter, who is about 2. The girl was with Isomura’s mother at the time of the attack.
Moana said Lorenz was at the home Sunday afternoon and Isomura was with her two children from a previous marriage.
Another neighbor said on Tuesday that she heard sounds of an assault before Isomura began screaming for help and suspected Lorenz was assaulting Isomura.
After the attack, Isomura couldn’t walk because she had been stabbed in the legs, Moana said. Isomura’s son was stabbed in the head and the daughter was stabbed in the stomach, she said.
On Tuesday, Isomura called the restaurant to let her co-workers know how she was doing. She was in good spirits and fighting to recover, Patacsil said.
"She’s finally able to walk," Patacsil said. "She has a long recovery."
She said both of Isomura’s children were in stable condition at the hospital.
Friends have set up a donation page at bit.ly/1A98pj3 to help Isomura. Donations can also be dropped off at Nico’s, off North Nimitz Highway.
