Teen shooting suspect had cocaine, police say
By Rod Ohira and Allison Schaefers
Advertiser Staff Writers
A 17-year-old boy accused of shooting a Punchbowl man during a burglary was in possession of cocaine and not crystal methamphetamine when he was arrested, police Capt. Carlton Nishimura said yesterday.
Miti Maugaotega Jr., known as "Junior," had a large bag in which police found three small packets of cocaine, drug paraphernalia and items stolen in the Punchbowl burglary June 27, police said.
Nishimura earlier said Maugaotega had "more than a user quantity of 'ice' " when he was arrested, but lab tests later determined the substance was cocaine.
Police suspected the drug was crystal methamphetamine because Maugaotega had told police that he was an ice user, Nishimura said.
The type of drug in this case, cocaine or ice, does not affect the charge of third-degree promotion of dangerous drugs against Maugaotega.
Maugaotega was charged as a juvenile with attempted second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, three firearms offenses and two drug counts in connection with the burglary and shooting of Eric Kawamoto.
Prosecutors have asked the Family Court to allow Maugaotega to be tried as an adult. Senior Family Court Judge Frances Wong has scheduled an Aug. 27 hearing on the request.
Maugaotega remains in custody. The Kalihi resident turns 18 on Sept. 29.
He is accused of shooting Kawamoto, 43, once in the chest when he interrupted the burglary at his Punchbowl home June 27.
Police also consider the teen a suspect in two other violent crimes, Nishimura said.
One involved the pistol-whipping of a 57-year-old woman in Kaka'ako four days before the Punchbowl incident, police said.
The other was a June 16 home invasion in Kalihi. In that incident, a male broke into the home through a living-room window, showed a handgun and demanded money from the two residents, according to police reports.
Before the Punchbowl shooting, police had not linked Maugaotega to the other crimes, Nishimura said.
Carolyn Brown, the deputy public defender representing Maugaotega, could not be reached for comment.
