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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, May 1, 2008

Driver in Kane'ohe case enters guilty plea

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

One of four suspects has pleaded guilty in the case of a man who was gunned down on Kane'ohe Bay Drive while trying to escape a kidnapping attempt, prosecutors said yesterday.

Charles Lee Freeman Jr., described as the getaway car driver in the May 2007 murder of Benjamin Grajeda, last week entered a guilty plea "related to charges in the case," prosecutors said. Freeman had been previously charged with kidnapping and hindering prosecution.

Also yesterday, U.S. Marshals Service personnel in Alabama arrested another suspect in the case.

Reginald "Red" Pettway was arrested on a $2 million warrant charging him with first-degree burglary and being an accomplice to robbery and kidnapping. Honolulu authorities posted a warrant for Pettway's arrest with the National Crime Information Center following his indictment Tuesday.

Prosecutors will seek Pett-way's extradition to Hawai'i to stand trial with Jerrico Dewon "Rick" Lindsey and Melissa Ordonez, who also were indicted Tuesday.

Grajeda, 27, of North Hollywood, Calif., was fatally shot on May 14, 2007, in the middle of Kane'ohe Bay Drive as horrified residents looked on after being roused by a commotion outside.

Police said Grajeda had escaped from the trunk of a Crown Victoria about 10 p.m. and was trying to run away when he was gunned down by a man firing dozens of shots from a semi-automatic assault pistol.

Grajeda had been kidnapped by three men who forced their way into his Pu'uohala'i Place apartment. The group intended to rob Grajeda of cash and drugs, police said. Grajeda was placed in the trunk of a car but managed to escape.

Following the shooting, police staged an islandwide manhunt and cornered Lindsey and Freeman in Hale'iwa. Pettway was allegedly with them but eluded arrest and returned to Alabama.

Lindsey, 28, the accused shooter, is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, kidnapping, first-degree terroristic threatening and four firearm offenses.

Ordonez, 22, also known as Rihanna Joy Valentino, allegedly set up the drug-related heist, police have said. Ordonez told the other suspects that Grajeda had a large amount of drugs and money at the apartment, but none was found, police said. She was charged with being an accomplice to first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery and kidnapping.

Lindsey and Ordonez will be arraigned today at Circuit Court.

Tuesday's indictment stated that Pettway, Lindsey and Ordonez are eligible for enhanced sentences based on their criminal records.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.