Posted on: Sunday, August 12, 2001

Pearl City pit bulls' owner sued

By Jean Chow
Advertiser Staff Writer

Two Pearl City residents each filed a lawsuit last week alleging that their neighbor's two pit bulls attacked and bit them in separate incidents this year.

The Circuit Court lawsuits were filed by Mitsuji Hirata, 82, and Yoshimi Fujihara, 78, against Troy Murakami, the dogs' owner, alleging that he failed to attend to and restrain the dogs.

Both suits ask for an unspecified amount of money for physical and emotional damages.

Fujihara's lawsuit said he was bitten in his garage in June on his left forearm and right knee as he was retrieving his garbage cans.

Hirata was also in his garage when he was bitten on both arms the following month as he was getting his morning paper, according to Hirata's lawsuit.

"I went to grab my morning paper. ... One dog bit one arm and the other dog bit the other," Hirata said at a news conference Friday. "I dragged them halfway (to the house). I couldn't do nothing."

Hirata was hospitalized for three days. Both men were treated at Kapiolani Medical Center at Pali Momi, their lawyer Richard Turbin said.

Hirata's son Gary said he was worried about the presence of the dogs in his father's neighborhood, which has a high population of elderly and retired people.

Turbin said the lawsuits were filed because the dogs' owner "knew or should have known that the dogs were vicious and could randomly attack neighbors."

Murakami could not be reached for comment.