Updated at 6:31 p.m., Monday, October 22, 2007
No jail for Wahiawa man after '05 pedestrian fatality
Advertiser Staff
A Wahiawa man who pleaded no contest in August to misdemeanor third-degree negligent homicide in connection with the December 2005 death of a pedestrian in Kalihi was sentenced Friday to pay $10,369 restitution and serve 100 hours of community service.District Judge Lono J. Lee granted Brent Ryan Putzulu, 25, a deferred acceptance of no-content plea, which will give him the opportunity to have the offense erased from his record if he stays out of trouble with the law for a specified period of time.
Putzulu is the son of Honolulu deputy police chief Paul Putzulu.
On May 10, 2007, Brent Putzulu pleaded not guilty to a complaint filed on Feb. 8 of this year charging him with third-degree negligent homicide. The case was scheduled for jury trial in June. However, Putzulu changed his plea to no-contest on Aug. 20 and was sentenced Friday.
As a formality, he was booked Saturday at the main police station for third-degree negligent homicide at 8:35 p.m. and released about 15 minutes later.
The Honolulu prosecuting attorney's office had sought a sentence of one-year probation, 30 days in jail, 30 days driver's license suspension, restitution and 30 hours of community service for Putzulu, who has no prior criminal record.
The investigation into the accident determined speed and alcohol were not contributing factors. Negligent homicide investigations in Honolulu typically take about a year or more to complete for prosecution.
The case involving Putzulu occurred Dec. 19, 2005, and resulted in the death of Adoracion Dela Cruz, 64.
Dela Cruz died Dec. 26, 2005, at The Queen's Medical Center.
She was struck at 6:20 a.m. while crossing McNeill Street by a 1990 Toyota pickup truck turning left onto McNeill. The police investigation noted Dela Cruz was wearing dark clothing and it was dark at the time of the accident.
