Kunia death remains unsolved

By Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writer

Honolulu police detectives are still investigating the mysterious death of a woman whose body was found inside a burning van in Kunia on New Year's Eve.

The woman was identified as 40-year-old Dawn Ubando, said police homicide Lt. Bill Kato.

The case has not been classified as a homicide, leaving the 2001 tally at 26 homicides for O'ahu, two more than the previous year, Kato said.

Firefighters found Ubando's body when they responded to a fire call just after 6 a.m. Monday at Garst Seed Co. at 98-880 Kunia Road. When they arrived, they found a 20-passenger bus, a compact pickup truck and a passenger van all on fire. Ubando was in the van.

"She didn't have any obvious blunt trauma that would have caused her death; no bullet holes or stab wounds," Kato said. "But she was burned very seriously."

Kato said an autopsy indicated that Ubando might still have been breathing at some point during the fire. Some of her clothing also was recovered and tests will see if it had been soaked in a flammable substance, although even that would not mean Ubando was a victim of foul play, Kato said.

Ubando's husband, who works for the seed company, told police that he sometimes spent the night at the farm because of problems with thefts and wild pigs, Kato said. He said his wife often spent the night with him, sleeping in the van.

Reach Mike Gordon at 525-8012 or mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com