Waikiki community on alert after violent attacks

Waikiki is on edge after three violent attacks in three weeks, the most recent befalling a visitor in the heart of the state’s top tourism district.

Noah Cadaram, a 24-year-old visitor from Tacoma Wash., reported he was attacked so viciously around midnight on April 3 that he was hospitalized for two days and treated for fractures to his skull, spine, back, ribs and hands.

He said the beating took place sometime after Cadaram was pickpocketed coming out of Kelley O’Neil’s Bar & Grill on Lewers Street the first morning of his vacation. He was taken to The Queen’s Medical Center after he was discovered unconscious and covered in blood in a Waikiki parking lot.

Thieves maxed out his credit cards and created confusion when they FaceTimed his girlfriend, Shannon Clark, whose flight to Oahu came in later than his. Her first stop in Hawaii was Queen’s, where she was told to extend their Oahu trip since Cadaram’s injuries were so severe he could not immediately fly.

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When Cadaram was discharged, the couple found a North Shore rental because they were afraid to stay in Waikiki.

Now home in Tacoma, the couple continue to face challenges. The first hospital bill was $65,000, and the single father said he doesn’t know when he can return to his job as a waiter. He has at least another six weeks before a cast is removed from his wrist.

Cadaram said he suffers from dizziness and doesn’t know whether the hearing in his left ear will return to normal.

“I got to Hawaii and I’m thinking, ‘I’m in Hawaii. It’s this great place to be, and it’s paradise,’” Cadaram said. “But bad things can still happen. It’s definitely something that I’m thinking about every day. Emotionally, I’m feeling frustrated and just not like me.”

Cadaram’s ordeal began near the intersection of Le wers Street and Kalakaua Avenue where just a week earlier Joe Herter, a military veteran who lives in Waikiki, was brutally beaten. Herter was attacked around 1:20 a.m. March 27 coming out of Kelley O’Neil’s with his girlfriend and two other couples who also had ties to the military.

Video shows that Herter was attacked by at least three groups of young men who came from separate directions.

Herter’s girlfriend, Amanda Canada, was attacked by female members of the group, and her purse, which contained her cellphone, was taken.

On March 19, just eight days before the attack on Herter and Canada, Marqus McNeil, 20, was fatally shot near the same location. A grand jury indicted Justice Kaio, 19, in connection with the McNeil case on charges of second-degree murder and firearm offenses.

Unlike the other two cases, Honolulu police say the shooting was not a random act and that McNeil and Kaio knew each other.

The scene of the three recent assaults is near a part of Waikiki the military had previously considered putting off-limits in 2018 after three military members were stabbed, one fatally. That didn’t happen after mi­litary, tourism and government officials worked with businesses and the community to implement crime reduction strategies.

Jessica Lani Rich, president and CEO of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii, who is assisting Cadaram and Clark, said the most recent violent crime surge has alarmed her and other Waikiki stakeholders.

“I have seen other cases like this in the last six months. But to get this case on top of a few other assaults of locals that have happened in that area is alarming,” Rich said. “It’s very concerning for our tourism and for our visitors. I don’t think people realize how painful, not just physically but emotionally, this is for a visitor. It totally changes their image of Hawaii, and that Hawaiian vacation dream becomes a nightmare.”

Honolulu Council Chair Tommy Waters will host a “Safety in Waikiki” virtual town hall 6 to 7:30 p.m. May 26. Waters said he is inviting area legislators, multiple state and city departments, and community partners who are working closely on crime prevention in Waikiki.

“This is a critical issue for all,” Waters said in an email. “We look forward to inviting the public and holding a productive dialogue on how we are working together to strengthen our community, and improve safety for residents.”

Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association President and CEO Mufi Hannemann said he is gathering Rich and other Waikiki stakeholders, as well as law enforcement and criminal justice officials, for a public-safety coalition meeting this week to address the rash of crime since Waikiki’s economy reopened and visitors have come back.

He plans to ask Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm to step up the timeline to bring “Weed and Seed” to Waikiki.

The multiagency program, which seeks to “weed out” criminals from a particular district and then “seed” communities by investing in social and economic revitalization, has lead to many arrests in the Chinatown and Kalihi-Palama areas, as well as substance abuse treatment, which helps people get off the streets.

Honolulu Police Department Maj. Randy Platt, commander of the Waikiki District, said HPD supports bringing “Weed and Seed” to Waikiki “as it will improve the quality of life for residents, workers and visitors.”

Hannemann said he has Waikiki businesses lined up to support the program, which has been successful elsewhere.

Matt Dvonch, special counsel to Alm, said that from July 12 through April 20, the “Weed and Seed” effort in Chinatown and Kalihi-Palama so far has resulted in 145 felony charges, 81 misdemeanors and 18 domestic violence misdemeanors.

A high percentage of those charged with felonies and misdemeanors were homeless. Some cases were dismissed, others are pending, he said.

“We had recognized from the start that many of the people arrested in the Chinatown/Kalihi-Palama ‘Weed and Seed’ site have an alcohol and/or other substance abuse issue,” Dvonch said. “Getting help for these individuals is important to help get them off the street and stay off the street.”

Hannemann said “Weed and Seed” efforts in places like Chinatown and Kalihi- Palama may be causing increases in Waikiki crime.

“When you clear one area out, they will move to another,” he said.

Another reason Hanne­mann wants “Weed and Seed” in Waikiki is to provide social services that can address issues such as homelessness and troubled youth that can lead to crime.

“We want positive programs like Adult Friends for Youth to intervene before crimes are committed,” he said. “We know youth are coming into Waikiki from other areas. In the case of Amanda Canada, the person who took her phone was from Waianae.”

Historically, Oahu has been one of the nation’s safer destinations. Crime in Waikiki tends to wax and wane, with some spots more prone to disturbances. According to Honolulu Star- Advertiser research, a fair percentage of the violent crimes that were reported within a half-mile of the 96815 ZIP code this year took place in the vicinity of Kelley O’Neil’s.

From January to April 20, 19 assaults, one homicide, five robberies and five sex crimes were reported to have occurred within 1,000 feet of Kelley O’Neil’s. That’s 30% of the 63 assaults that were reported within a half-mile of the 96815 ZIP code, 100% of the homicides, 33% of the 15 robberies and nearly 28% of the 18 sex crimes.

John Langan, owner of Kelley O’Neil’s, could not be reached for comment.

Clark, Cadaram’s girlfriend, said, “We saw so much police presence while we were there, but not right there. Why isn’t there more police presence right there if there is such a high percentage of crimes happening right there?”

HPD spokeswoman Sarah Yoro said police officers “will be monitoring the area in an effort to reduce criminal activity at that location.”

Bill Comerford, former owner of Kelley O’Neil’s and current owner of the Irish Rose Saloon on Ena Road in Waikiki and Anna O’Brien’s in the University area, said he and other business owners were part of the previous effort to reduce crime, which has come back to what he considers unprecedented levels.

“I’ve been in Waikiki for 40 years. I’ve never seen it this bad,” Comerford said.

He said pandemic-related business closures have darkened Waikiki streets and decreased security workers, making passersby more vulnerable. Comerford added there also seem to be more youths on the street, and no one seems to be picking them up for truancy or violating curfew.

Comerford said the problems are not limited to Lewers Street and Kalakaua Avenue. He said a couple in their 60s were recently beaten while walking from the Irish Rose Saloon to Century Center at the intersection of Kalakaua Avenue and Kapiolani Boulevard.

“The attacks are happening up and down the streets,” he said. “The motive isn’t robbery; it’s violence. They didn’t take anything from the couple.”

Comerford said the streets and sidewalks are county and state responsibilities.

“They blame the bars, but what we really need is more police presence. I can’t control the streets or the sidewalks; my insurance won’t let me,” he said.

Waters said HPD is short about 300 positions, which is a critical issue.

“I’ve advocated for additional funding for HPD patrols to strengthen their ranks,” he said. “Public safety is a priority for all of our communities, and our funding for patrols should reflect that.”

Hannemann said violent crime cannot be tolerated in Waikiki, which is the main driver of the state’s economy and the most densely populated residential community.

“This thing is not going away. We have to get to the bottom of it, especially as more people are returning to Waikiki,” he said. “Otherwise, we risk the reputation of Hawaii being a safe place to visit.”

Just as worrisome is the growing pool of Waikiki residents, like Herter, who are questioning whether their home is safe.

“This is the tourist mecca of America, and you are are almost killed in the streets,” Herter said. “How can this happen?”

TO DONATE

>> Noah Cadaram’s friends and family have set up a page on gofundme.com to raise money to assist with his medical bills and other expenses related to the April 3 incident in Waikiki.