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Honolulu police arrest 2nd man for suspicion of murder in missing toddler case

COURTESY LISA MORA
                                Kytana Ancog.
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COURTESY LISA MORA

Kytana Ancog.

COURTESY CRIMESTOPPERS
                                Travis Rodrigues
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COURTESY CRIMESTOPPERS

Travis Rodrigues

COURTESY LISA MORA
                                Kytana Ancog.
COURTESY CRIMESTOPPERS
                                Travis Rodrigues

UPDATE 11:25 a.m.

A second suspect has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of 18-month-old Kytana Ancog.

The Honolulu Police Department identified the suspect, a 48-year-old man, and arrested him for suspicion of second-degree murder just before midnight Saturday.

Acong went missing along with her father, Travis Rodrigues, about two weeks ago.

An HPD investigation found “foul play was involved,” and Rodrigues, 40, was arrested earlier Saturday after being located in Ko Olina.

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Police arrested a 40-year-old Aiea man Saturday on suspicion of second-degree murder in the case of his missing 18-month-old daughter, but would not say whether the girl, Kytana Ancog, has been found.

Officers located Travis Rodrigues around 12:30 p.m. in the Ko Olina area and later placed him under arrest, with charges pending.

Honolulu police and CrimeStoppers said on Friday the girl’s mother dropped Kytana off on Jan. 31 to be with Rodrigues at his Kaulainahee Place home in Aiea, but neither the suspect nor Kytana had been seen since then.

The family filed a missing persons report Wednesday.

Rodrigues, 40, who served time in federal prison for felony drug and weapons convictions, is also known as Travis Heffelinger and Travis Heffelfinger. Honolulu police executed a search warrant at his home Friday night. The FBI is assisting the Honolulu Police Department in the investigation.

The toddler’s grandmother, Lisa Mora, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Saturday that her daughter Ashley Ancog and Kytana came to live with her in March and stayed until a month ago. Mora said she had never heard of Rodrigues until then, has never met him and is unclear about the relationship between her daughter and the suspect.

Mora posted videos Saturday on her Facebook page of her little granddaughter opening presents at Christmastime and another of her dancing. Earlier in the week, Mora made an impassioned plea on social media asking for help in locating Kytana.

Mora said she has not been in recent contact with Ancog, who has not spoken to her family about the girl’s disappearance.

“From what I learned, she was scared of this guy and doesn’t want to say anything,” Mora said. “I just want my granddaughter back.

“She is a happy, bright, normal child. She is always curious, playing and laughing. She loves music, playing with the dogs. It’s hard because she’s really trusting.”

Mora asked everyone “to look at every child they come upon. Even if there’s a slight resemblance, take a picture. Send it to Crime- Stoppers. I want them to treat this as their own child, granddaughter, niece, daughter.”

Mora said Kytana has two half-brothers, one of whom lives with her and the other with his other grandmother.

No Maile Amber alert was activated in the case, which would have allowed broadcasters to use the Emergency Alert System to air a description of the child and suspected abductor. The Maile Amber alerts are activated when police believe a child has been abducted and is in danger, according to the state’s Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division, and the case must meet certain other criteria.

According to Hawaii court records, Rodrigues and another man allegedly robbed someone using a simulated firearm on Nov. 2, 2018. A criminal complaint for first- degree robbery was filed, but the case was dismissed because a witness relocated to Las Vegas.

Rodrigues also has state convictions for third-degree theft in 2004 and two counts of terroristic threatening in 2001.

On Dec. 1, 2004, he was charged in a secret federal indictment and was eventually given a lesser sentence as part of a plea agreement in which the government dropped three of five charges related to weapons and methamphetamine distribution. Rodrigues pleaded guilty to distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense.

Although a judgment was entered Sept. 19, 2006, his sentencing wasn’t finalized until May 2009, when his five-year sentence for drug trafficking was reduced by three years but a 10-year sentence remained in place for the firearm conviction. That same month, he legally changed his name from Heffelinger to Rodrigues, according to court records.

Rodrigues had helped the government by testifying at the 2008 trial of Silver Jose Galindo, who was sentenced to more than 39 years in prison for drug trafficking and firearm offenses.

After serving prison time, Rodrigues’ supervised release was revoked three times, in 2015, 2016 and 2017, causing his sentence to be extended. In Feb. 3, 2017, he was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment.

In 2019, Honolulu CrimeStoppers issued a bulletin on Rodrigues, saying he was wanted for violating his parole.

Anyone with information on the suspected murder case is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or may send anonymous tips to honolulucrimestop pers.org or via the P3 Tips app.

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