Posted on: Wednesday, April 17, 2002

Hearing begins in Waikiki child-abuse case

Advertiser Staff

A preliminary hearing began yesterday for a 32-year-old Waikiki man charged with second-degree attempted murder in connection with alleged abuse of his 6-month-old son earlier this month.

The hearing for Anthony K. Chatman will continue Friday in District Court. He is being held on $50,000 bail, police said.

A medical center spokeswoman declined to release information about the hospitalized infant's condition.

According to a police affidavit, the baby's mother, Asahi Suzuki, told police she saw Chatman hit their baby, Taison Suzuki, with an open hand, throw the infant on the bed and shout at him to stop crying while they were at the Ambassador Hotel in Waikiki on April 6-7.

The mother told police she did not interfere out of fear of being hit by Chatman, the affidavit said.

The hearing is to determine whether Chatman should stand trial on the attempted murder charge.