Man pleads not guilty to attempted murder

A 34-year-old Big Island man pleaded not guilty Monday to attempted murder and assault following a violent parking lot confrontation last month in Waikoloa Village.

Aaron Nakamoto entered not guilty pleas to attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and second-degree assault during his arraignment and plea hearing before 3rd Circuit Court Chief Judge Ronald Ibarra in Kona. Ibarra set a jury trial for the Waikoloa resident to begin on April 7.

He remains on supervised release with conditions of a 24-hour curfew and electronic monitoring.

If convicted of attempted second-degree murder, Nakamoto faces a mandatory life sentence with the possibility of parole and fines up to $50,000, according to Hawaii Revised Statutes.

The charges stem from an Oct. 12 confrontation in the parking lot between Waikoloa Village Market and Pueo’s Osteria restaurant at the Waikoloa Highlands Shopping Center. During the incident, Nakamoto allegedly stabbed two Waikoloa women, Hanna Luepkes and Carli Sugimoto, causing what North Hawaii Community Hospital Emergency Room Physicain Tracey Banks-Greczanik described as life threatening injuries to both.

Luepkes and Sugimoto, during a preliminary hearing held in South Kohala District Court, testified having exchanged words with Nakamoto inside the restaurant. After leaving, both said Luepkes approached and threw the first punch, before Nakamoto overpowered Luepkes and straddled her while the two exchanged punches.

Sugimoto then got involved, saying she tried to get Nakamoto off her friend. The fight ended when someone not involved approached.

Sugimoto said she suffered a black eye, a centimeter-deep stab wound to her chest and a stab wound to her upper left arm. Luepkes said her “throat was slit” and she suffered a cut to the right side of her face that extended from her eyelid to the tip of her ear. Her shoulder and neck area were also cut.

Email Chelsea Jensen at cjensen@ westhawaiitoday.com.