Posted on: Saturday, April 21, 2001

Police release one of three arrested in H-2 shootout

By Karen Blakeman and Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writers

One of the three people arrested afterTuesday's H-2 freeway shootout that left one man dead and two police officers wounded was released from custody yesterday.

The other two were charged with auto theft unrelated to the shootout, police said.

Samuel Hao, 29, of Wai'anae, was released, but Bernadette La'a, 28, also known as Bernadette O'ili, and Jesse Ani, 28, both of Wai'anae, were charged in auto theft cases and were still in custody last night.

La'a was charged with two counts of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle. She was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail, police said.

Ani, charged with three counts of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, was being held in lieu of $30,000 bail.

Police said La'a was in a scheme to steal cars from a Sand Island pier. Investigators also allege Ani drove stolen cars on the H-2 Freeway and Farrington Highway in Wai'anae April 1 to17.

Police said the shootout investigation was continuing.

Levi Esperas, 27, La'a's husband, died from a chest wound after police fired at least 10 shots in Tuesday's incident, which occurred after a traffic violation stop. Officers Robert Steiner and Aaron Bernal, both 32, were wounded by shotgun blasts fired by Esperas, police said.