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Suspect in stabbing of Kaimuki newspaper vendor released

HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT
Gary Landis

A 30-year-old man arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 70-year-old man who sold newspapers in Kaimuki was released, pending further investigation.

Honolulu police arrested Gary Lee Landis Tuesday on suspicion of murder in the death of Thaddeus “Ted” Pirga Jr., of Hawaii Kai, in November.

Police released Landis Wednesday, He was not charged.

Officers arrested Landis at the main police station, a week after he was released from Oahu Community Correctional Center.

In February, Landis entered a guilty plea to a second-degree robbery charge for stealing items from a Waikiki convenience store.

Police arrested him for the robbery of a mini-mart on Kuhio Ave. on Nov. 12, three days after Pirga’s stabbing death.

Landis was sentenced to four months probation on May 26 and released from prison a day later. He had been confined at Oahu Community Correctional Center for the past seven months.

Pirga Jr., a retired welder and popular seller of the Sunday Honolulu Star-Advertiser in Kai­muki, was stabbed and died Nov. 9 as he prepared to sell newspapers near Cafe Miro on Waialae Avenue.

Police responded to the scene at 3:40 a.m. and paramedics took Pirga in critical condition to a hospital, where he died.

In late April, CrimeStoppers released grainy surveillance images of a man riding a moped who was wanted for questioning. He was described as possibly having a mohawk haircut, tattoos on both forearms, and wearing an aloha shirt.

In police and sheriff’s photos, Landis also has a mohawk.

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