Man charged with murder in Aliamanu beating death

A witness to the early morning beating death of 33-year-old Jesse Waikiki in Aliamanu Tuesday told police an unknown man delivered the first blow that caused him to fall to the ground, a court document shows.

But it was 41-year-old Dale Rodriguez Jr. who hit Waikiki while he still on the ground with an unknown object, "using all of his strength to slam the object into the male’s head three times," according to a police affidavit supporting probable cause for his arrest.

Prosecutors charged Rodriguez late Wednesday night with second-degree murder in the beating death of Waikiki with a metal object. He made his initial appearance Thursday and remained in custody in lieu of $1 million bail.

His preliminary hearing is set for Monday.

An officer found what appeared to be a metal handle for pulling a cart with fresh, wet blood spatter on its foam grip, the affidavit said.

Police said the incident began as an argument in a home at 3450 Salt Lake Blvd. and spilled into the street, where Waikiki and a 38-year-old woman, who had also been assaulted, were found.

Police found Waikiki in the middle of Salt Lake Boulevard between Likini Place and Wanaka Street, about a block from Salt Lake Shopping Center, at about 5 a.m. Nisa Harada was found unconscious on the makai grassy shoulder off the roadway, police said.

Rodriguez had been Harada’s live-in boyfriend until he moved out in early November. Neighbors said that after he left the residence Rodriguez continued to visit and occasionally spent the night. Harada lived in the duplex residence, 3450A Salt Lake Blvd., with her two daughters, neighbors said.

In an affidavit, a witness reported hearing an argument outdoors and then watching from a bedroom window as an unknown man ran toward two men arguing on the roadway. The witness said the unknown man punched Waikiki, who then fell to the ground and appeared to be unconscious.

According to the witness, Waikiki was shirtless and Rodriguez was wearing a dark worker’s uniform.

Next-door neighbor Taulima Mitaina said Tuesday that Rodriguez is a mechanic.

On Thursday, police were still looking for the second man who may have been involved in Waikiki’s death and Harada’s assault.

Police found Waikiki lying on his back with severe contusions and cuts to his face, and bleeding profusely from his head, the affidavit said.

Police performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and started to attach an automated external defibrillator to him. Paramedics took Waikiki in critical condition to Tripler Army Medical Center, where he died at 5:55 a.m. Harada was hospitalized in serious condition with head injuries.

The medical examiner said Waikiki died of blunt force injuries to the face.