A Kapahulu man confessed to police that he stabbed to death his next-door neighbor and friend in an Ala Moana Center stairwell earlier this month, according a police affidavit.
Jacob Le, 26, is being held on $250,000 bail after he was charged Friday with the second-degree murder ofBrent Keolaokalani "Ola" Kanae at Ala Moana Center on Oct. 3.
Le pleaded not guilty in Honolulu District Court on Monday morning and will appear for a preliminary hearing Wednesday.
Witnesses identified Le as being near the stairwell where Kanae, 23, was found with stab wounds, coughing up blood.
A witness identified Le as being at the crime scene moments after the stabbing.
Le and Kanae belonged to the same hip-hop and break-dancing group.
ON Oct. 6, in his first interview with police,Le acknowledged being at the shopping center but denied involvement in the crime.
Twelve days later Le confessed to standing above Kanae,reaching around him from behind and stabbing him three times in the chest, said a police affidavit.
Kanae was a line cook at Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Co. at Ala Moana Center. Kanae’s mother said the family had just returned from Disneyland and that he had shown up at Ala Moana early on his first day back at work so he could have lunch with friends and give out souvenirs.
Le is shown in a YouTube video break-dancing at Kanae’s funeral as a tribute to him.
Kanae was a 2006 Kalani High School graduate who played football and was in the orchestra.
Le is a 2004 McKinley High School graduate.
