Suspect’s relatives apologize to family of boy killed in crash

Expressing "their deepest condolences," relatives of Potasi Uta Jr., the Wai­anae man accused of killing 3-year-old Ashton Brown and injuring four members of the boy’s family, say they plan to raise money to help them find a home and pay expenses stemming from the tragedy.

Esther Willets, a niece of Uta’s, told reporters Monday, "We are extremely sorry for what happened to the Brown family."

Uta, 44, is charged with first-degree negligent homicide, causing accidental death or injury and driving under the influence of alcohol after a car crashed into a bus shelter in Makaha on Wednesday, fatally injuring the boy.

The four other injured family members are the boy’s mother, 41; two girls, 11 and 5; and a 7-year-old boy.

Uta is being held, unable to post $100,000 bond.

After his initial appearance in District Court on Monday, Judge Randall Shintani set Uta’s preliminary hearing for Wednesday.

Nearly a dozen of Uta’s relatives attended the hearing Monday, including four of his eight children.

After the hearing, Willets said Uta’s family plans to host several fundraising events and opened an account at Bank of Hawaii to help the Browns.

"We will do everything we can to put your child at rest," Willets said to reporters, referring to Ashton Brown.

Other Uta relatives said they want the Brown family to join their "close-knit family."

Azure Suesue, another niece of Uta’s, said she hopes the money can be used to help the Browns find transitional, and eventually permanent, housing.

Initial reports indicated that the Brown family is homeless. The boy’s father was setting up a campsite when a car allegedly driven by Uta ran off Farrington Highway and into a Makaha Beach bus shelter where the mother and four children were resting.

Mabel Uta, the defendant’s sister, said Uta had been at a party celebrating her birthday and that she was supposed to drive him home.

"But I think he got tired waiting for me while I said goodbyes to everyone," she said.

She said her brother had been paroled from Oahu Community Correction Center eight days earlier and had worked that day at United Truck Rental.

Her daughter, Moani Meacham, said she witnessed the 10:30 p.m. accident and called paramedics to the scene at Farrington Highway and Kili Drive.

Meacham said her uncle was "on his way to a better path," adding, "That’s all he talked about that night at the party."

Mabel Uta said the incident is heartbreaking for both families.

"We just want to say how sorry we are," she added. "It is something that shouldn’t have happened."

She said her brother was a "good father and a loving and good dad."

Mabel Uta said her brother has two children living on Maui and six on Oahu.

A police affidavit said Uta’s car had damage to the front and rear bumpers when it was stopped at a Wai­anae 7-Eleven gas station at 85-830 Farrington Highway.

In an affidavit, police said Uta had an expired driver’s license and that a police officer "could detect a strong odor, resembling that of an alcoholic type beverage, emitting from his breath."

The affidavit said Uta’s eyes were "red and glassy and he also had a red flushed face." Uta was "mumbling and had slurred speech," the affidavit said.

A witness who had seen Uta’s car leave the accident scene was driven to the 7-Eleven, where she identified Uta.

Because Uta refused to take a breath test at the Kapolei police station, he was taken to the Pearl City station for a mandatory blood test. There, Uta had to be physically restrained since he refused to cooperate and provide a blood sample, the affidavit said.

Courts records show that Uta has six felony and six misdemeanors convictions, including a 1986 conviction for drunken driving, car theft and criminal property damage on Maui. He was sentenced to five years in jail.

In 2004 he was sentenced to a 10-year prison term for first-degree burglary and was placed on parole. He was again sent back to prison in 2008 for violating his parole.