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A 25-year-old Waianae man is scheduled for trial in July on charges stemming from the death of his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter last year.
Joshua Kalili entered a plea of not guilty in Circuit Court on May 28 before Judge Richard Perkins to charges of second-degree murder, two counts of abuse and contempt.
Kalili made his plea via closed-circuit video from Oahu Community Correctional Center, where he is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.
Perkins scheduled Kalili’s trial to begin the week of July 27 before Judge Glenn Kim.
Prosecutors said the two abuse charges stem from several incidents that occurred a year before Styzilee Reyes-Butay died. Police said Reyes-Butay had suspicious injuries Oct. 21 when she was taken to the hospital, where she died. The Medical Examiner’s Office said the cause of death was blunt impact of the abdomen with intestinal lacerations. The manner of death was ruled homicide.
Meth dealer is sentenced to life in prison
A U.S. district judge in Hawaii sentenced a 44-year-old California man Tuesday to life in prison for dealing crystal methamphetamine.
Prosecutors said Alan Mapuatuli won’t be eligible for parole. Prosecutors say he received a mandatory life sentence because he had two prior felony drug trafficking-related convictions in California.
Mapuatuli was convicted as the result of an undercover deal for a pound of meth. Agents found a leather bag containing the pound of meth when they stopped him as he drove away afterward. Agents also found a backpack with another 6 ounces of meth, nearly $16,000 in cash and a loaded .45-caliber pistol in his vehicle.
A jury in U.S. District Court in Honolulu found Mapuatuli guilty in January.
Group on Maui calls for a halt to cane burning
WAILUKU » Residents are calling for Maui’s last sugar cane plantation to stop burning fields, claiming the smoke is causing adverse health effects.
A group called Stop Cane Burning wants the Department of Health to implement a moratorium on the practice until the regulatory agency can figure out a more scientific way to call no-burn days, KHON-TV reported Thursday.
Deputy Director of Environmental Health Keith Kawaoka says the department is investigating the high levels of smoke reported last week coming from a plantation owned by Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co.
The department currently bases its recommendations on weather conditions.
"We’re also looking at what ways we can improve on the prediction of the dispersion of the smoke," he said.
Kawaoka said the department has heard some of the schools in Kihei and its surrounding area were affected by the smoke.
"And we do take that very seriously," he said.
Body is found under bridge in Hamakua
Hawaii island police have initiated a coroner’s inquest following the discovery of a body Friday morning under Nanue Stream bridge in the Hamakua area.
The discovery was reported at about 9:10 a.m. Responding officers found the body near the 18-mile marker of Hawaii Belt Road.
Police ask anyone with any information about this case to call the Police Department’s nonemergency line at 935-3311. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call CrimeStoppers at 961-8300.
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