Some residents in the Nu'uanu neighborhood where Matthew M. Higa lived until a few months ago described him as a "reclusive" who would argue loudly and frequently with his father.

The residents said they never saw Higa go to work or school after he graduated from Roosevelt High School.

On the occasions when he argued with his father, Higa would "go into rages and throw things," often into the windows, one neighbor said.

The behavior was so bad that some suspected drug use or that Higa had fallen in with the wrong crowd.

One neighbor noticed a shift in Higa's behavior after high school, and a significant change after he was involved in an alleged racing accident which killed his friend.

Higa was involved in an Aug. 15, 2004, negligent homicide investigation in connection with the suspected racing death of Andrew Hansen, 20.

According to the neighbor, Higa's father began having difficulty controlling his son. The father told neighbors that Matthew was hearing voices but that his son refused suggestions of counseling.

Miles Hokama, 54, who lived several houses down from the Higas on Henry Street, said he had noticed the house "being trashed," the broken plate glass windows and several strange cars in the driveway.

He described an incident where police cars and a police helicopter descended upon the house one evening.

"All kinds of commotion," Hokama said.

That evening, four cars parked in the Higas' driveway were towed away, another neighbor said.

But Hokama said he was "surprised this happened. I thought he was a really nice boy. He didn't seem like a problem kid."

Michael Rosas, 28, said he and Higa would play basketball in the family's driveway when Higa was in high school.

"He was just a normal kid," Rosas said. "I never saw him get in trouble."

Other neighbors described the house as a wreck when Higa lived there, with most of the plate glass windows smashed and weeds growing tall in the yard until they moved out several months ago.

Neighbors said Matthew Higa's grandfather's brother now owns the house and is currently fixing it up.