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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Saturday, January 8, 2005

Murder suspect on videotape, police say

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

A man accused of the shooting death of an elderly Makiki man Dec. 22 was captured on surveillance video fleeing from the scene, according to court documents.

Donny Hiramoto

Donny Hiramoto, 32, is charged with one count of second-degree murder in connection with the death of Robert E. Lee. Lee, 71, was shot once in the head in the garage of his apartment building at 1555 Pensacola Street and died at The Queen's Medical Center.

Hiramoto turned himself in Tuesday and was charged the next day. He was released on bail Thursday and is scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing next week.

Jane Lee told police she overheard her husband, Robert, talking with "Donny" on a cellular phone about 7:20 p.m. Dec. 22 and the two men agreed to meet at the Pensacola apartment building, the affidavit said. Jane Lee said that Donny, later identified as Hiramoto, owed Robert Lee money.

Hiramoto told police homicide investigators that he did not meet with Lee that night and he had no intention to do so because he did not have the money, the affidavit said. Police said they believe that Lee ran a sports book operation in the garage of his apartment building.

But a security surveillance system that Lee installed just days before the shooting showed Hiramoto at the shooting scene between 7:30 and 8:02 p.m., the affidavit said. Lee was shot shortly after 8 p.m.

Police said Hiramoto is seen with his right hand in a black shoulder bag as he walked around the garage area, the affidavit said. Hiramoto is later seen running from the scene where Lee was shot, the affidavit said.

There was no mention in the court document of whether the camera captured the actual shooting. Police have yet to recover the gun used to kill Lee.

Police notified Hiramoto that they wanted to question him in connection with the case, and he turned himself in Tuesday.

Reach Curtis Lum at 525-8025 or culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.