A 41-year-old man was sentenced to 25 years in prison Tuesday after he showed up at his ex-wife’s workplace in 2019 and threatened her co-workers with a gun before setting fire to the building.
Casey Y. Asato was sentenced Tuesday by Oahu Circuit Judge Paul Wong for the domestic violence incident, which occurred on Feb. 21, 2019, according to Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm’s office.
Asato was found guilty Aug. 11 of first-degree arson, first-degree reckless endangering, a firearm charge, three counts of first-degree terroristic threatening and two counts of second-degree terroristic threatening.
Given the “serious nature of Asato’s conduct,” as well as the danger he poses to the community, Alm’s office said in a news release that it asked Wong to sentence him consecutively on the arson and firearm counts, which would have resulted in a 30-year sentence.
Wong chose to sentence Asato consecutively on the arson and felony terroristic threatening counts, which resulted in 25 years in prison.
“I want to commend Judge Wong for his sentence in this case,” Alm said. “Asato’s victims, especially his ex-wife, will now be protected from his violent and dangerous behavior for many years to come.
“If you feel unsafe in a domestic situation, seek out support from family and friends and visit the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence at http://www.hscadv.org or call the Domestic Violence Action Center at (808) 531-3771 to get help, and always call 911 in an emergency,” he said in the news release.
The case was prosecuted by Leigh Okimoto, a member of the department’s Domestic Violence-Felony Team.
During the trial, Asato’s ex-wife testified that she obtained a temporary restraining order against him on Feb. 11, 2019, but didn’t take it to police until Feb. 18 to have it served.
Asato went to his daughter’s preschool on Feb. 21, not knowing about the TRO, and was told there was paperwork prohibiting him from being at the school.
He then confronted his ex-wife at her nearby workplace, an auto-body repair shop on Kawaiahao Street, asking where the children were. Asato was given no answers and left, according to her testimony at trial.
Asato’s ex-wife left the auto body shop and informed police that she was afraid he would return and start shooting. Asato did come back a semi-automatic pistol and a bucket of gasoline.
He testified that he confronted his ex-wife’s boss and fired a warning shot into the floor when the man laughed at him.
Asato then kicked over the bucket of gasoline in the reception area, lit it with a lighter and fled. Asato was holding a handgun when police confronted him outside his Waikele home.
After Asato failed to drop his weapon when police ordered him to surrender, officers shot and critically injured him.
