Posted on: Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Woman gets 20 years in shooting death
By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer
A 30-year-old O'ahu woman who was found guilty in April of manslaughter for the 2002 fatal shooting of a man across from Waipahu High School was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison.
Because Totie Tauala used a semiautomatic handgun to kill Hayward Julio, Circuit Judge Karl Sakamoto imposed a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence.
Tauala never denied shooting Julio, but she argued that she was under extreme mental and emotional stress when she shot him as he sat in his car.
Tauala told police that on the day of the shooting, Julio held a knife to her neck while stealing jewelry, money and drugs from her at a friend's house in Waipahu. He left the house in a car and Tauala followed when Julio motioned her to pull over near the high school.
Tauala testified Julio began making sexual advances toward her, which she said brought up memories of an alleged rape by her father in 1994.
Tauala's lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Jerry Villanueva, said that when Julio told Tauala, "Come, sit on daddy," Tauala snapped and shot Julio.
Sakamoto denied a request by city Deputy Prosecutor Douglas Chin to make Tauala's sentence consecutive to one she is currently serving until 2006 for negligent homicide. Tauala was on parole in the negligent homicide case and was selling methamphetamine when she killed Julio, Chin said. Julio's shooting, in broad daylight across from the school, "shocked the community," Chin said.
But Tauala's mother, Regina Tauala, told the judge that her daughter is "a loving and caring person," not a violent one.
"She is here today because of the drug ice," Regina Tauala said. "She was studying to become a nurse, but she got caught up in the world of drugs."
Totie Tauala apologized to Julio's common-law wife, Viki Wong, telling her, "I never meant to take him from you guys."
Tauala said she hopes to publish a children's book while in prison and sell her artwork in hopes of raising money to help Julio's family.
Tauala won't become eligible for parole until 2017.
Reach David Waite at dwaite@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8030.
