Honolulu man found not guilty in 2020 attempted murder, assault case

A jury of 10 men and two women found a 34-year-old Honolulu man not guilty Tuesday on all counts in the attempted murder, kidnapping and sexual assault of a bar hostess found naked and bleeding profusely in the lobby of the high-end downtown condominium building where he lived.

Michael T. Hirokawa pushed his glasses up and wiped tears from his eyes after the verdict was read, hugged his mother and walked out a free man.

Hirokawa did not contest he caused the woman’s significant injuries Nov. 21, 2020, since they were the only two in his rented apartment, but testified that he does not recall causing them and that he must have been drugged. He suggested the woman may have drugged him to steal nearly $2,400 in cash that he had in his pocket.

The defense provided evidence that a combination of Ambien (a prescription sleep aid) and LSD was found in his wine glass but not in hers. The state contended the drugs must have been planted.

The defense also blamed shoddy police work, failing to take urine or blood samples from Hirokawa, despite concerns of a Honolulu Police Department evidence specialist and others of possible drug involvement, as well as a failure to take samples from the wine glasses.

Deputy Attorney General Michelle Puu, who prosecuted the case, said in her closing arguments that the only option Hirokawa had was to use this defense of being drugged, since voluntary intoxication is not a defense to a criminal act in Hawaii.

“This was a heinous sexual assault, and it repeated, repeated, repeated where he almost killed her,” Puu said. “This is not a drug-fueled rage.”

The Oahu Circuit Court jury deliberated for a little over two days after closing arguments Thursday afternoon before reaching the verdict, ending a trial that spanned a month.

Judge Paul Wong accepted the jurors’ decision; thanked them for their service, saying, “You went above and beyond. This was a very long trial”; and dismissed the case.

The jury foreman declined to comment, except to say it was a lengthy process.

Defense attorney Alen Kaneshiro told reporters outside the courtroom, “It’s been our contention that Mr. Hirokawa was involuntarily intoxicated, and the jury agreed.”

As for his client, “it’s been a tough two years, being under house arrest … but he was very resilient,” he said. “I’m sure he’s happy that the jury saw things the way they did. He’s hoping to get back to his regular life.”

State Attorney General Anne Lopez said in a written statement, “While we are extremely disappointed in the verdict, we respect the process and thank the jury for its service.”

To return a guilty verdict, jurors had to unanimously agree the state proved beyond a reasonable doubt Hirokawa intentionally and knowingly committed attempted second-degree murder, kidnapping and three counts of first-degree sexual assault.

Hirokawa, a 2006 alumnus of ‘Iolani School where was a standout running back, had been a temporary assistant football coach until 2020 at his alma mater. He obtained a science degree at a California college, and worked at Island Flooring until his arrest.

Friends and family described him as a nice guy who never lost his temper or got violent. He testified he could not remember what happened after he drank a glass of wine at his condo with a woman he met at Club New Business.

Despite Puu’s pointed questions about, among other things, his sexual preferences, Hirokawa maintained a calm, polite demeanor under questioning.

The victim, a Korean national living in Chicago, was visiting Honolulu in late 2020 and worked as a hostess at Club New Business when she met Hirokawa. He said they sat with the club owner and another employee who introduced her to him. She said he bought her $100 worth of drinks the night of Nov. 20, 2020, which he confirmed, and tipped her another $100, which he denied.

She texted and called him after the bar closed, and they got together at the office of Hirokawa’s friend, architect Shaun Ushijima, where the two men had been drinking. He had also had a couple of beers at Sakana Grill prior to going to Club New Business.

Puu suggested Hirokawa was so drunk, he dropped his phone and kicked it off the curb as seen in a video.

The woman, at her insistence, drove him home to his Capitol Place condo, arriving at 12:28 a.m. Nov. 21, 2020, where the sexual and physical assaults occurred.

The woman escaped and called 911, but her condition worsened to critical condition due to the significant blood loss. Police found Hirokawa, naked and asleep in his bed, his hands and forearms bloody.

But Kaneshiro pointed out inconsistencies with the evidence in her testimony, including her claim to have stood by him to steady him despite video showing otherwise, her claim not to drink alcohol, but having knowledge of alcoholic beverages, and a witness who testified that she drank in his presence.

The woman, testifying at trial, said Hirokawa suddenly became aggressive, repeatedly sexually assaulted her, causing a laceration from vagina to anus, beat and choked her, and stomped on her head and body, despite her screams for help and for him to stop.

That sudden change, the defense suggested, was indicative of his being drugged.

Puu said when the victim was in such extreme pain, she tried to roll off the bed to escape, but he began repeatedly punching her genital area and anus, and she felt a gush of blood.

Puu said Hirokawa stopped his attack only when she remained still and silent, then he went to sleep, thinking she was dead.

She cited a doctor’s testimony that the woman would have bled to death had she been found any later.

Puu said Hirokawa appeared coherent during his arrest, remembering his Social Security number and other information.

Psychologist Tanya D’Avanzo testified memory loss doesn’t mean you forget everything, but people who try to fake amnesia often pretend to forget everything.

Defense expert Mark Hagadone, a toxicologist, collected samples from two wine glasses on the kitchen counter at Hirokawa’s condo and sent them to a California laboratory, which found the contents of one of the glasses contained the unusual combination of Ambien and LSD.

Hagadone testified the combination could have adverse behavioral effects, depending on the dosage.

Puu questioned the validity of the chain of custody since several days passed after the incident when the samples were taken, and suggested someone planted the drugs since a variety of people had gone through the apartment.

Hirokawa said when he met the woman at the hostess bar at 9 p.m., he was not interested in having sex with her, but had just gotten paid $2,500 in cash for a side job, so he gave her a $100 bill — the price of five drinks.

HPD body-worn camera footage showed the woman bleeding and begging for water. It also showed officers finding Hirokawa sleeping so soundly he awoke only after two officers pulled him by the arms off the bed.

His mother, Un Suk Hirokawa, was a character witness and said through a Korean interpreter that her sons told her she might hear bad things about Hirokawa but not to read or watch the news. She tearfully explained how she found information on the internet about her son. She testified he was never violent, and helped pay the bills even during school after his father had a stroke.