An employee at a Wendy's in Nanakuli was fatally stabbed on Sunday morning, with another suffering serious injuries in a violent altercation with a customer. According to KHON2, the incident began when the suspect, who was moving furniture inside the restaurant, was confronted by a 22-year-old employee. The conversation took a fatal turn after an argument erupted between them.
The argument outside of the Wendy's escalated, where "Victim One punched the suspect who in turn stabbed Victim One and Victim Two," reported Lt. Deena Thoemmes of the Honolulu Police Department. The employee, who initially approached the suspect, died later at the hospital, while the other remains in serious condition. The suspect, having been arrested at the scene for Second Degree Murder and Second Degree Attempted Murder, remains in custody, according to police sources cited by KHON2.
The authorities identified the suspect as 60-year-old Reynaldo Cheney based on an arrest log, who previously received a criminal citation for having a tent in a public park, documented by Civil Beat. Wendy's parent company, Cotti Foods, released a statement expressing their shock and commitment to safety while prioritizing counseling resources and support for their employees in the aftermath.
Community leaders have expressed their concern and dismay at the incident, with Nanakuli-Maili Neighborhood Board Chair Samantha DeCorte noting that such crimes were not common in the quiet neighborhood. Representatives are seeking to bolster mental health care in response, and prevent the incident from impacting local businesses, as mentioned by Representative Darius Kila in his statement obtained by KHON2. He remarked that the Wendy’s in Nanakuli and the surrounding area were previously known as community strongholds that never raised safety concerns. In the wake of recent violence, Honolulu Police Chief Joe Logan had announced the assignment of dozens of reserve officers to hot spot areas in West Oahu, per a report from Civil Beat.
