Scott MacMillan, who went from being a chef at a popular Kailua restaurant to living on the streets, was fatally stabbed Monday night near a business building where he slept at night along Uluniu Street, business people and friends said Wednesday.
He was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said.
MacMillan, 37, a graduate of Kalaheo High School, was a former chef at Lucy’s Grill & Bar in Kailua, where President Barack Obama dined a couple of times some years ago. It closed in July 2011.
MacMillan turned to alcohol, went on a downward spiral and died homeless, his friend Sean Lopez said.
"He was drinking a lot, just ended up on the street," Lopez said. "It’s tragic, unbelievable. I don’t believe it."
Business people say they’re also shocked at the rise in crime in downtown Kailua.
During the day, Uluniu Street is quiet and peaceful, with dozens of small businesses serving the coastal community, including a medical clinic and printing and tailor shops.
But at night, the atmosphere changes, drawing a large number of homeless people who forage in garbage cans and dumpsters, business people say.
Several large dryers were damaged in an unsuccessful burglary at Kailua Washerette on the morning of Dec. 28, said owner Erich Wida.
Across the street, the chef at Baci Bistro was unloading groceries at the restaurant last month when he was attacked in an apparent robbery attempt and required medical attention, restaurant employee Braden Okamura said.
"I can’t believe all of this is happening, and no one is letting it be known," Okamura said.
A resident who declined to identify himself said sometime after 11:30 p.m. Monday, he heard MacMillan calling for help near where he usually slept and heard a woman screaming.
The resident said he saw three men, one who was holding MacMillan and another who was stabbing him.
The resident said the man who stabbed MacMillan fled in a dark-colored sedan, and the man holding him rode away on a bicycle.
It’s unclear what role the third man had and how he got away.
It was the second fatal stabbing on Oahu in as many days. Police are seeking at least two suspects in the stabbing death of Marlo G. Basuel, 42, Sunday night in a Waipahu home.
