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Suspect in fatal Chinatown shooting pleads not guilty

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CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM

Tiseya E. Puapuaga appeared in court today at the Oahu Community Correctional Center after he was extradited to Honolulu.

A man authorities apprehended in California in connection with the 2017 shooting death of a 34-year-old man in Chinatown appeared in Circuit Court today.

Tiseya E. Puapuaga appeared at his arraignment before Judge Shirley Kawamura via closed-circuit video link from the Oahu Community Correctional Center after he was charged with second-degree murder in Issac Mamea’s death.

Puapuaga also was charged with two firearm-related offenses in the shooting.

He was extradited back to Honolulu Wednesday after authorities apprehended him in Elk Grove, Sacramento. Puapuaga’s bail is set at $1 million.

Deputy Public Defender Lee Hayakawa entered a not guilty plea to the charges.

During the arraignment, Kawamura rejected Hayakawa’s request to reduce Puapuaga’s bail.

His trial is scheduled for March.

An Oahu grand jury indicted Puapuaga with murder in October 2017 involving the late-night shooting fronting the Maunakea Liquor & Grocery store on Sept. 20.

Honolulu police said a suspect later identified as Puapuaga approached Mamea on foot and shot him multiple times with a handgun.

He allegedly fled the scene in a white Toyota Matrix. Police later recovered the vehicle.

CrimeStoppers and police issued a bulletin seeking the public’s help in locating Puapuaga.

Authorities located him in Sacramento more than a year after the deadly shooting.

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