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Suspect in Kalihi fire charged with arson, murder

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CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM

Police investigated Monday outside a house fire at 2934 Kalihi St.

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CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM

Police investigated Monday after a fire at a house down a walkway in the 2900 block of Kalihi St.

A 58-year-old man was charged this afternoon with intentionally setting a fire at a Kalihi Valley residence where a man’s body was found.

Daniel Manuel has been charged with first-degree arson and second-degree murder. His bail was set at $1 million.

Police arrested Manuel after a two-alarm fire broke out at the multi-unit, multi-story dwelling at 2934 Kalihi St. early Monday. Firefighters found the body of a man inside the living room after crews brought the fire under control.

The victim’s name has yet to be released by the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Homicide Lt. Phillip Lavarias said Manuel attacked one of the responding firefighters. Firefighters and a witness detained him until police arrived. Lavarias said the witness told law enforcement he saw Manuel pour a flammable liquid in one of the bedrooms.

Damage to the structure and its contents was estimated at $240,000.

Fire investigators returned to the residence Tuesday to continue their investigation.

Meanwhile, sometime this week an inspector from the Department of Planning and Permitting is expected to visit the property, where owners face a $19,000 fine for violations that had not been corrected as of November for exceeding the number of renters allowed to reside on the property.

In March 2016, the city issued a notice of violation requiring the owners to reduce the number of renters. At the time, the multi-family dwelling was occupied by a family and 11 renters, according to the violation notice. Occupancy at the dwelling is limited to a family and only three renters; or five individuals unrelated to the family.

The city also cited the owners for illegally having tenants in a separate structure on the property.

2 responses to “Suspect in Kalihi fire charged with arson, murder”

  1. google says:

    Daniel Manuel is schizophrenic with history of violence, drugs, alchohol, and cigs. He has never worked in his life. He is nothing but a thug, bully, and now a murderer. He is a member of Honolulu Clubhouse at Kalihi Palama mental health center.

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