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The Honolulu Advertiser

Updated at 2:28 p.m., Tuesday, January 20, 2004

Police arrest third Pali shooting suspect in Nanakuli

By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer

Police today arrested the third suspect in the Jan. 7 shooting at the Pali golf course that left two men dead and a third man critically injured.

Kevin "Pancho" Gonsalves, 33, was arrested without incident at a home on Holopono Street in Nanakuli about 1:20 p.m., police said. Three others at the home were arrested for investigation of hindering prosecution.

The other two suspects pleaded not guilty in Circuit Court today to murder and gun charges.

Acting Circuit Judge Gerald Kibe set a tentative trial for the week of March 22 for Rodney Joseph and Ethan Motta, although the trial will almost certainly be pushed back as the case progresses.

Kibe assigned the case to Circuit Judge Michael Town. Motta and Joseph entered their pleas via a cable TV hookup between Circuit Court and O'ahu Community Correctional Center, where they are being held.

Town will be responsible for setting a hearing on the prosecution's request to hold Motta and Joseph without bail and a defense request to remove the cash-only requirement from the $1 million bail set in the case.

Motta, 34, and Joseph, 35, were indicted last week along with Gonsalves in connection with the shooting deaths of Lepo Utu Taliese, 44, and Romilius Corpuz, 40. A third man, Tinoimalu Sao, 42, was shot in the head and has been reported by police to be in critical condition at The Queen's Medical Center since the shooting.

Police believe the shooting grew out of an argument involving the provision of protection for illegal gambling operations on O'ahu.