The Advertiser reports additional information on the apparent homicide in Waikiki this week, citing the identity of the victim, first reported by KITV.
KITV not only identified the victim, but obtained photos of the victim and broadcast a telephone interview with a friend of the victim in New Mexico.
The Advertiser reported this morning:
Describing the death as a possible homicide, Honolulu Police Department spokesman Maj. Clayton Kau said yesterday that police are looking for Aaron M. Susa, 31, describing him as a “person of interest” in connection with the case. Susa is described as 5 feet 10 and 180 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He lives on O’ahu and frequents the Waikiki area, Kau said.
Susa has two outstanding traffic warrants, Kau said, declining to go into other details about any possible criminal record.
Okay, so the police decline to provide details of “any possible criminal record.” The Advertiser, unfortunately, fails to pursue the question.
The Star-Bulletin’s Rob Shikina took the extra step to find more about Susa’s past.
According to the state’s criminal justice data center, Susa has 16 convictions since 2005 for offenses including drugs, indecent exposure and terroristic threatening. He is also wanted on two traffic warrants.
I did a quick online check of court files this morning and found quite a bit more information about Aaron Michael Susa, who has pleaded guilty to various charges on two occasions since 2005. In proceedings in both cases, Susa’s previous criminal record was cited, without specifics.
In March 2005, Susa pleaded guilty to promoting a dangerous drug (3rd degree) and illegal use of of drug paraphernalia and was sentenced to 5 years probation.
In June 2005, Susa sought a deferred sentence. However, when the motion for deferral came to court, the public defender withdrew the request “based on defendant’s record”.
Over the next several years, Susa violated his probation several times and was hauled back to court.
On June 22, 2009, Susa was again found to have violated terms of his probation and was sentenced to 4 months in prison, “subject to early release to a drug treatment program”. It is not clear whether he served any or all of that time, or whether he ever entered a drug treatment program.
Court records also suggest Susa is not a U.S. citizen. [This may not be the case at all. Note the reader’s comment, which cautions that the question regarding “immigration/deportation consequences” is standard at the time of a guilty or no contest plea for all defendants regardless of citizenship.]
In September 2007, Susa pleaded guilty to unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle as part of a plea agreement.
Minutes of the court hearing show Judge Rey Graulty
questioned Susa about “constitutional rights, penalties & immigration/deportation consequences” of his plea.
Susa was sentenced to 30 days in jail with credit for time served, and payment of court fees were “waived due to deft’s inability to pay.”
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The Internet has made it easier than ever before to research the history of many issues and to review public records, yet Honolulu media often approach long-running stories as if they’re breaking news on a single day, without even trying to review the basics and put the issues in context. TV is the worst, and reporters often just stick a microphone in the face of an obvious vested interest and let them spin away, without even attempted to verify facts or provide meaningful context.
But hey, there’s a new Victoria’s Secret store at Ala Moana, with a scantily clad model on hand …
. . . not to mention Kirk Caldwell helping with the ribbon cutting at the VS opening, the significance of which I am unable to ascertain (maybe he was representing the City’s support for stimulating consumption or shopping to provide economic stimulus; do they even have his size?).
As for the citizenship of Mr. Susa, no conclusions should be drawn from the court minutes to which you refer. The consequences of a plea for immigration status are part of the mandatory colloquy between judge and defendant at the time of a guilty/no contest plea, REGARDLESS OF THE DEFENDANTS citizenship. See Rule 11(c)(5), Hawaii Rules of Penal Procedure. (http://www.state.hi.us/jud/ctrules/hrpp.htm#Rule_11)
Susa also served time on the mainland for burglary
sad testament to lack of news reporting depth nowadays.
susa was and is a very abussive person verbal and phisycle singed some 1 who knows way to much about dis man….