A 64-year-old man has been convicted in a violent confrontation that turned a Kalaeloa Beach access parking lot into a crime scene. An Oahu jury found Kenneth Kaleikini guilty after prosecutors said he rammed a man’s vehicle, then later shot him with a shotgun at the same lot. Jurors returned verdicts that include attempted first-degree assault and several firearms-related counts, and also found Kaleikini to be a persistent and multiple offender. He remains locked up at the Oahu Community Correctional Center and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18.
The jury convicted Kaleikini of attempted assault in the first degree, carrying or use of a firearm in the commission of a separate felony, ownership or possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person previously convicted of certain crimes, terroristic threatening in the first degree, and criminal property damage in the fourth degree, according to Hawaii News Now. Prosecutors told jurors the Aug. 14, 2023, clash started when Kaleikini drove toward a homeless man who was standing near his vehicle and rammed the victim’s car twice. As bystanders moved in, prosecutors said, Kaleikini got out with a shotgun, threatened to kill the man and, as the victim retreated toward the sand, fired, hitting the left side of the victim’s body.
"This verdict sends a clear message that violence with a firearm in our community will not be tolerated and will land the perpetrator in prison," Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm said in a statement to Hawaii News Now. The prosecutor's office said jurors also found Kaleikini to be a persistent and multiple offender, a designation that under state law allows the court to consider an extended sentence beyond the standard prison term.
What the Extended-Term Finding Means
Under Hawaii law, a persistent or multiple-offender finding lets a court impose an extended term of imprisonment if it decides a longer sentence is needed to protect the public, as outlined in state statute. The law requires that any additional facts supporting an extended term be proved beyond a reasonable doubt and sets maximum limits for extended sentences, according to Justia. That designation could significantly increase Kaleikini's potential prison time when a judge sentences him on June 18.
