A 65-year-old Orchidland Estates man accused of stabbing to death a 58-year-old Keaau man last month has waived a preliminary hearing.
On Tuesday, Hilo District Judge Robert Crudele ordered Isauro Garcia Madrigal to appear at 8 a.m. Wednesday before Hilo Circuit Judge Peter Kubota for arraignment and plea. Madrigal waived the completion of a preliminary hearing that began Aug. 4.
Madrigal is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly stabbing Felix Padamada Jr. on July 16 at Madrigal’s 37th Avenue property.
According to court documents filed by police, Madrigal told officers two strangers entered his property and he confronted them. Madrigal reported one of the men had a knife, which Madrigal wrestled away, and the other man ran away.
Madrigal said Padamada fell down, and Madrigal then kicked Padamada’s head into a rock wall several times, documents state.
Madrigal suffered a single laceration about 1 1/2- to 2-inches long on the palm of his right hand. His clothes were covered in blood, and there was blood on his face, according to documents.
An autopsy found Padamada sustained more than 20 stab wounds to his head, neck and back, including one that severed his carotid artery, documents state.
A search of the premises by officers didn’t turn up a knife or a sharp blade with any evidence of blood or body tissue, according to documents.
During a previous court appearance, Deputy Prosecutor Andrew Son said Madrigal — who has only traffic infractions on his record in Hawaii — is the subject of a federal detainer, which is a warrant-type document requesting he be detained for authorities in another jurisdiction.
Son said Madrigal has a “significant history” elsewhere, including “a number of illegal entries … through San Diego, a couple of which involve smuggling (of) controlled substances.”
He also said Madrigal has “a number of violent offenses … going back to 1973.”
Madrigal was born in Mexico, but documents made publicly available in the case don’t address his immigration status in the United States.
He is in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center in lieu of $2 million bail.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
