A court document filed by police identifies the man who was shot, killed and found burned in his own vehicle Saturday afternoon in Puna as Haku Waipa.
The same document also identifies Starla Vegas, 36, as the woman who was injured by the same “bang stick” blast.
Wesley Brooks, a cousin of murder suspect Ammon Kaipo Spencer Stanley, allegedly told police that Brooks was at his grandmother’s home on 35th Avenue near Ilima Street in Pahoa and saw Waipa, Stanley and Vegas pull into the driveway in Waipa’s car between 1:30 and 2 p.m. Saturday.
Brooks allegedly told police he heard what sounded like a shotgun blast come from the area of the vehicle and saw Stanley standing by the driver’s side of the car.
Brooks said Waipa was in the driver’s seat, slumped over to the side with blood on his face, and Brooks saw Vegas run away from the car, bloodied and screaming that she’d been shot, according to court documents.
Brooks said Stanley pointed two short pieces of pipe at him, documents state. Stanley then ran back to the vehicle after Brooks yelled at him, got in the driver’s side door, reversed out of the driveway, and drove toward Ilima Street, according to documents.
Vegas also was interviewed and allegedly told officers she saw Stanley playing with a metal pipe and heard Waipa asking what it was for before the hearing the “boom.” Vegas said she also was hit by pellets and was bleeding and in pain, but ran to Stanley and asked if he was OK. She then ran away when Stanley appeared to be angry, documents state.
According to documents, another woman, Rochelle Guyer, told police she had talked to Stanley at about 2 p.m. Saturday and he admitted he shot Waipa with a “tent pole bang stick” and left Waipa’s body at a location on Beach Road in Puna.
Guyer told police Stanley said he’d shot Waipa because Stanley heard voices in his head that told him to “take Haku out.”
Police found the charred remains of Waipa’s body in the torched vehicle at the Beach Road location.
Stanley made his initial court appearance Tuesday on charges of second-degree murder for Waipa’s slaying, and second-degree assault for the injuries Vegas suffered in the shooting.
Hilo District Judge Jeffrey Hawk maintained Stanley’s bail at $1.01 million and ordered Stanley to return to court today for a preliminary hearing.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.