Woman, 28, sought as suspect in murder

By Scott Ishikawa and Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writers

Honolulu police have named a 28-year-old woman as a suspect in a fatal shooting last week near Waipahu High School.

Totie Tauala, a suspect in a Waipahu shooting last week, is considered armed and dangerous, police said.

Police want to question Erick Ledford, who is not a suspect in the case.

Investigators, who say Tauala is considered armed and dangerous, cautioned that the public should not approach her but should call police instead.

Tauala is also wanted for a parole violation related to a 1996 investigation of negligent homicide.

Tauala, who also goes by Raina A. Dias, is of mixed ancestry, including Samoan, Hawaiian and Caucasian. She is 5 feet 7, 155 pounds, with a medium build, brown hair and brown eyes.

A tattoo of a top hat with mustache is on her left arm. "TASA" is tattooed on her inner ankle and "TOTIE" under her right forearm.

Investigators say a woman was involved in a drug-related argument with Julio, 30, shortly before he was shot to death along Waipi'o Point Access Road around 3 p.m. Aug. 21.

Witnesses at a nearby Po'ailani Circle residence told homicide investigators that Julio and the woman had a heated confrontation before the shooting.

Anyone with information may call Detective Ted Coons directly at 529-3053 or CrimeStoppers anonymously at 955-8300, *CRIME on a cellular phone.

Investigators also want to question Erick Ledford, 38, as a witness in the shooting but have been unable to locate him. Ledford, wanted on a federal warrant for violating probation, was reported missing in April by his family. He was at the Po'ailani Circle home the night of the argument, according to witnesses.

At about the same time he was reported missing, police recovered Ledford's car in a drug investigation.

A man claiming to be Ledford telephoned police recently about the car but never showed up to pick it up, investigators said.

Reach Scott Ishikawa at sishikawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 535-2429.