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COURTESY HAWAII POLICE DEPARTMENT
Kuuipo Leinaala Nihipali, right, and Ashley Rose Nihipali, also known as Ashley Balai.
A Kona grand jury charged two women with murder in connection with the 2018 death of a 6-year-old boy on Halloween.
The child has been identified as Mazen Kaniela Nihipali-Moniz of Kailua-Kona.
Kuuipo Leinaala Nihipali, 32, of Hawaiian Paradise Park appeared before Judge Henry Nakamoto in Third Circuit Court Monday after the grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday charging her with one count of second-degree murder for failing to seek medical attention, one count of accomplice to second-degree murder, six counts of abuse of a family or household member, two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
Ashley Rose Nihipali, also known as Ashley Balai, 34, also of Hawaiian Paradise Park, also appeared in court on charges of one count of an accomplice to second-degree murder, six counts of felony abuse of a family or household member, two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
Their trial is set for November. Bail has been set at $1 million each.
Police initially responded to a call of an unconscious 6-year-old boy later identified as Nihipali-Moniz brought to the Kailua Fire Station at about 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 31 by a family member.
He was reportedly involved in an incident at an apartment complex in the 74-900 block of Manawalea Street in Kailua-Kona.
Nihipali-Moniz was taken to Kona Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police said the manner of his death was ruled a homicide based on autopsy results.
The two women allegedly physically abused the child from June to October 30, 2018.
Court documents unsealed today revealed they abused the child during that time period by “intentionally and/or knowingly impeding the normal breathing and/or circulation of blood of (the child) by applying pressure on the victim’s throat or neck.
Ashley Nihipali has a previous conviction of misdemeanor shoplifting in 2010.
Ashley and Kuuipo Nihipali … by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd
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