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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 12:10 p.m., Wednesday, January 21, 2004

Pali manhunt cost police $160,000

By Rod Ohira, Peter Boylan and David Waite
Advertiser Staff Writers

The 12-day search for accused murderer Kevin "Pancho" Gonsalves, captured yesterday in Nanakuli, involved a task force that numbered 100 police officers at times. The police department estimated the overtime cost at $160,000.

Capt. Carlton Nishimura, who supervised the task force, said crime reduction units from all eight districts were joined by officers from the Specialized Services Division, Criminal Investigation Division, criminal intelligence unit and District 8 patrol in the search along the Wai'anae Coast for Gonsalves, the third suspect in the fatal shooting at the Pali Municipal Golf Course on Jan. 7.

"The task force was not only trying to capture him but to prevent retaliation from rival factions," said Nishimura, who confirmed police had heard reports that at least two rival groups said to be connected to the shooting were also hunting Gonsalves.

"We wanted to keep the public safe and prevent any kind of violence by (the police) presence," Nishimura said.

One of hundreds of tips received by police during the hunt for Gonsalves led them to a Nanakuli residence at 87-177 Holopono St. Gonsalves was found hiding under a bed.

The tip from a police source early yesterday morning identified the silver Mazda that Gonsalves was driving, said Nishimura.

"Finding the car was good police work on the part of District 6 CRU," Nishimura said. "We had officers checking the back roads and were finally able to locate the car."

Catching Gonsalves was difficult, because he was always on the move. "He never stayed in one place very long, moved around at night so the general public didn’t see him, and had a good network to hide in," Nishimura said.

Police searched the silver Mazda and Nanakuli home yesterday and recovered evidence. Investigators declined comment, however, on what was found.

Gonsalves was indicted Jan. 13 with Rodney Joseph Jr. and Ethan Motta for first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and multiple firearm offenses in connection with the shooting deaths of Lepo Utu Taliese and Romilius Corpuz. A third man, Tinoimalu Sao, was critically wounded.

Cash-only bail for Gonsalves, Joseph and Motta is $1 million.

Gonsalves had a mid-morning appearance today at District Court for three traffic-related warrants. He will be arraigned on the murder charges at Circuit Court later, possibly Monday, said Jim Fulton of the Prosecuting Attorney’s office.

He will be held at the O'ahu Community Correctional Center until his arraignment.

Three others were in the home with Gonsalves at the time of his arrest: a 41-year-old man, his 37-year-old wife and their 16-year-old daughter. The three were taken to HPD’s Kapolei substation for questioning but were not arrested, police said.

On Jan. 7, Taliese, 44, was shot several times in the chest and stomach. He died at The Queen’s Medical Center. Corpuz, 40, was shot in the head and pronounced dead at Castle Medical Center.

Sao, 42, was shot in the head and remained in critical condition yesterday at Queen’s.

Although critically wounded, Taliese and Sao managed to identify their assailants to police. Both said they had been shot by Rodney Joseph Jr. and Ethan Motta, according to a police affidavit.

Yesterday, Joseph and Motta pleaded not guilty in Circuit Court to murder and gun charges.

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