Real estate woman’s death classified as murder case

Friends of a real estate agent and aspiring actress expressed sorrow and outrage Wednesday at the news that she had been murdered and her body dumped in her Makiki driveway.

No arrest had been made Wednesday night in the death of Mary Beth San Juan, the former wife of an anesthesiologist and mother of a 29-year-old son.

San Juan’s bound and gagged body was found in her Makiki driveway at 1224 Punahou St. Tuesday night.

Her former husband, Dr. Alberto San Juan, found the body in the driveway of her small, white stucco house with clay-tile roof, tucked between Shriners Hospital and a condominium and adjoining spa.

The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office did not release the identity of the victim and deferred the cause of death pending further investigation.

Friends identified San Juan as the victim.

Maj. Richard Robinson, head of the police department’s Criminal Investigations Division, said Tuesday that San Juan’s injuries indicate a homicide. Police classified the case as second-degree murder.

Police found San Juan’s 2013 Mercedes-Benz four-door sedan in Waikiki early Wednesday.

Two of her friends, who asked not to be named, created a small memorial outside her home Wednesday afternoon with sunflowers, rose water, a candle and prayer beads.

"She was a dear friend," one woman said. "She had a face like a sunflower."

"She sang like an angel," said the other woman. "She was a lovely person."

Rebecca Sabado, a security guard at the Banyan Tree Plaza condominium, said that about 7:15 p.m. Tuesday she noticed a man trying to get her attention at the mauka gate next to the wall of the house.

"I asked him, ‘Are you OK?’ And he said, ‘Well, my ex-wife lives in the building there. I’ve been trying to call her. She’s not answering.’"

Sabado said the ex-husband told her they just had dinner Saturday night.

Then he said, "‘The car is gone, but there’s a body in the driveway,’" Sabado recalled.

She stood at the end of the driveway and saw something wrapped up in what looked like a carpet or a comforter.

"And then he went over, he lifted it up, and I could smell something," Sabado said, and told him to get away from the body.

Sabado asked if it was her, but he replied, "I don’t know."

"I guess the way the body was, he kind of freaked out when he lifted the … you know … at that moment he didn’t know," she said.

Police arrived and later told her that the woman’s body was bound and gagged.

San Juan was the principal broker and founder of Happy Hawaii Homes LLC in 2005 and, according to her Facebook page, has extensive experience on Oahu with a vast array of clients.

Acting coach Scott Rogers, who said he coached San Juan a few years ago, held a moment of silence for her last night at an acting class he conducted.

"We’re all pretty shocked and appalled," he said. "You go through shock and sadness and into anger now. It’s really cowardly and wicked. Whoever did this, I hope they catch him."

Rogers had encouraged others through his Scott Rogers Studios Facebook page to join him in reflecting on "your memories of Mary Beth San Juan," whom he called, "a sensitive, gentle, caring soul who spread warmth through her smile to all who knew her. She was family."

According to her featured actress profile on the Scott Rogers Studios website, she played a parent in episode 17 of the first season of CBS’ "Hawaii Five-0."

San Juan was associated with ADR Agency in Kane­ohe, whose director, Naza­rene Anderson, considered San Juan a friend as well as a work associate.

"This is devastating," Anderson said. "This is just completely and totally something you would never imagine happening to someone like Mary Beth. She was just unbelievably nice."

Anderson described her as kind, considerate and "extremely sweet."

"She’s always the one that just had nice things to say to everyone," Anderson said.

Anderson said San Juan landed a role as an extra in a production and took an interest in pursuing acting as a hobby a few years ago.

"It was a passion of hers," she said. "She just kind of threw herself into it and took classes."

Anderson said she didn’t know how long San Juan had been divorced, but that San Juan talked about her ex-husband fondly.

"She actually only had really good things to say about him. She always talked about him in a nice way," Anderson recalled, adding that the two helped each other often. He took care of her when she had a bad year with her real estate business last year, Anderson said, and San Juan took care of him when he fell on hard times, too.

Anderson also recalled that the two took a family trip with their son, Philip, about a year ago.

According to Philip San Juan’s Facebook profile, he is a Maryknoll School graduate now living in Portland, Ore. He posted a picture on the profile early Wednesday morning of San Juan with his father that drew condolences from family and friends, and another of his parents together.

Former neighbors of San Juan were shocked to learn of her death and described her as sweet.

Others who walk in the Punahou Street area were alarmed that a body would turn up in such a seemingly peaceful area across from Central Union Church.

Annette Iglesias, 23, of Waikiki, and her boyfriend and their daughter were walking the neighborhood Wednesday, something they often do because they felt it was safe.

"It’s kind of scary," she said. The discovery of the body "right in this neighborhood, something of that nature happening. This is like a homicide, a CSI thing.

"I feel safer here than Waikiki," she said. "I would expect it in Waikiki. That’s sad to hear. It’s so bizarre."

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Star-Advertiser reporter Gordon Y.K. Pang contributed to this report.