The Maui Examiner

Murder Accomplice Gets 50 Years

WAILUKU– Lisa Avilla of Kihei was sentenced Dec. 29 to a 50-year prison term for her role in the Dec. 3, 2000 slaying of an 82-year-old man.
The sentence was imposed by 2nd Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza.
Avila, 35, said she didn’t willingly participate in the murder of Edward Bird, retired Navy doctor, and that she was an accomplice because of her fear of her co-defendant, Michael Arlo Pavich.
Bird had been beaten and strangled to death.
Avilla, 35, had pleaded no contest to first-degree burglary, kidnapping, first-degree robbery and a reduced charge of manslaughter in connection with Bird’s killing. She also pleaded no contest to unrelated charges of third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug and possessing drug paraphernalia for a pipe containing methamphetamine residue that was found when she was arrested.
Cardoza granted a prosecution request for consecutive sentences, ordering that Avilla separately serve prison terms of 10 years for burglary, 20 years for kidnapping and robbery and 20 years for manslaughter for a total of 50 years.
Pavich, 35, is awaiting sentencing. He was convicted of second-degree murder and other charges in a trial in October. His sentence will include a mandatory term of life in prison.
Avilla had prior felony convictions for forgery and theft. She has four sons and recently became a grandmother.

KAHULUI– Maui firefighters responded to approximately 50 calls in a 24-hour period over the New Year’s weekend.
The most damaging fires destroyed a moped in Happy Valley and a storage shed in Waihee Valley. Losses were estimated at about $500 in each of the two blazes.
Many calls were suspected of being related to fireworks.
Just after midnight on New Year’s Eve, every station except for Kula, Lahaina and Napili had crews responding to blazes.
Most of the fires were small and involved grass and brush, cars and a couple of trash cans.

Bank Robber Sought

HONOLULU– Police and agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation are searching for a man who robbed the Beretania branch of American Savings Bank the evening of Dec. 29.
At 5:52 p.m. on Dec. 29, the man walked into the bank, handed a teller a note demanding money, and left with an undisclosed amount, police said. A weapon was tucked in the waistband of the man's jeans. He fled on foot.
The robber is described as a 5’ 10” male in his 20s. He has a slim built, and weighs about 140 lbs. He was wearing jeans, a black long-sleeve T-shirt and a gray beanie when he fled from the bank.
Anyone with information about this man is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300, or *CRIME on your cellular phone.

HONOLULU– A recent general excise tax hike that was passed to support a mass transit system on O‘ahu could be repealed if a proposed amendment to the City Charter were placed on the next election ballot in 2006.
A petition for the "repeal of any ordinance imposing a county general excise tax or county surcharge on the state general excise tax" has been circulating for about two months. The petition would require 44,525 signatures.
No deadline for collecting the signatures has been set.
A repeal could change the way excise tax increases are enacted but if successful, the process could take at least two years for the proposed amendment to pass. The actual repeal would appear on the ballot in 2008.
The GET was hiked from 4 percent to 4.5 percent, a 12.5 percent increase to take effect in 2007.

LIHUE– Maui County Council member Dain Kane pleaded no contest to drunken-driving charges on Kauai last week.
Kane, 43, apologized for his actions to Lihue Judge Trudy Senda.
According to Marc Guyot, Kauai County prosecutor, Kane sought alcohol treatment before last week's sentencing. Treatment is usually ordered by the judge in all drunken driving cases, however Kane decided not to wait for a judge’s order of treatment to be handed down.
He was ordered to pay a $350 fine and $300 in court costs and fees.
Kane was on Kaua‘i visiting family Nov. 22 when he was stopped for speeding in Koloa shortly after midnight.
He may possibly run for the Maui mayoral seat in 2006

Copter Pilot Charged In Fatal Crash

LIHUE– The pilot of a Kaua'i tour helicopter that killed three people when it crashed in the ocean Sept. 3, 2005 was indicted on manslaughter charges by a grand jury.
Glen Lampton, a Nevada resident, was charged with three counts of manslaughter, two counts of reckless endangering and one count each of tampering with evidence and providing a false statement to authorities.
He is expected to plead not guilty to the charges.
It is the first time in Hawai'i that criminal charges have been filed against a pilot who was involved in a fatal accident.
Lampton and two other passengers survived the crash.
Lampton will be appearing in court on Kaua‘i Jan. 13 for arraignment. If convicted of manslaughter, Lampton could face a maximum of 20 years imprisonment for each count.

HILO– A Big Island woman in charge of a 10-year-old girl found severely abused pleaded not guilty Dec. 29 to all charges against her.
Hyacinth Poouahi, 38, was charged with multiple counts in connection with severe injuries sustained by the child in her care earlier this year.
The charges include attempted murder by omission, endangering the welfare of a minor, assault, kidnapping and terroristic threatening.
Big Island Circuit Judge Glenn Hara set trial for May 15, however the scheduled date may change due to the court’s being closed for the month of June.
Alexis, the child Poouahi is accused of abusing, is being cared for on Oahu.
The girl was removed from Poouahi’s home after Poouahi had placed a 911 call Feb. 7, 2005. Alexis had numerous injuries, including rotting flesh. She was in a coma for six weeks after her rescue.
In a Feb. 10 police affidavit, Poouahi's daughter Aulii, 15, said that Poouahi; her husband, Jaime Soares; and her son Hans, 13, all abused Alexis.
Poouahi is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail and is expected to be returned to Hawai‘i Community Correctional Center in Hilo.

WAILUKU– Maui’s first baby of 2006, Paolo VanBramer, was born Sunday afternoon at Maui Memorial Medical Center.
Paolo’s family, from Lahaina, includes dad Patrick, mom Paige and 3-year-old sister Patrina.
Paolo was born at 8:31 a.m., measuring 21 inches and weighing 8.1 pounds.
He wasn’t due until Jan. 17.