The teenager accused of killing a Good Samaritan in Waikiki had been sentenced in July to 10 years in prison, but was later given probation instead and set free, according to court documents.

On Saturday night, Kelii Donovan Acasia allegedly assaulted and killed Ned Nakoa, who had tried to prevent Acasia and his friend from stealing a tourist's purse, according to police and witnesses.

Acasia, 19, and Benjamin Pada, 18, appeared in District Court yesterday. Acasia was charged with second-degree murder and Pada with second-degree robbery and second-degree assault. Their preliminary hearing will be tomorrow.

After yesterday's hearing, Pada's uncle, Tony Pada, told reporters the teenagers made a mistake.

"I want to apologize to the (victim's) family and the people that was hurt," Tony Pada said. "I can't say how bad I feel to that man that passed who was just trying to help. I feel bad for the family."

Tony Pada said he hoped the incident wouldn't happen again. "Things happen," he said. "It was an accident. The truth will come and it will set them free."

A police affidavit filed in court said Acasia and Pada attacked a couple — a female tourist and a Hawai'i-based Marine — sitting on Waikiki Beach and stole the woman's purse.

The Marine chased the two and fought with them at the intersection of Kalakaua and Paokalani avenues when Nakoa intervened. Acasia punched and kicked Nakoa until he lay motionless on the ground, the affidavit said.

A witness, Farouk Salah, said the Marine was fighting one of the purse snatchers when Nakoa tried to stop the fight, only to be punched to the ground.

"I saw a guy laying on the ground," said Salah, who had been at Lulu's, a sports bar across from Kuhio Beach. "No one seemed to know what to do. I did CPR on him. When I found him, he had no pulse, but a faint heartbeat."

The police affidavit also said Pada was arrested with travelers checks stolen from a Japanese tourist earlier in the evening.

JUVENILE RECORD

Acasia has been in and out of prison. He was charged with sexually assaulting a male victim in August 2005, according to court documents, a crime that apparently happened while he was incarcerated in the Hawaii Youth Correction Facility in Kailua.

He was 17 at the time of the offense, still a juvenile, so details of the crime were sealed from public view. He pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree sexual assault and Family Court Judge Frances Wong sentenced him to a year in prison and five years' probation.

After he served his sentence and was released, an affidavit from probation officer David Fujishiro said that Acasia failed to fulfill conditions of his probation and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. He was rearrested on May 15, 2007.

On July 3, 2007, Wong resentenced Acasia to 10 years in prison.

However, Acasia's attorney, Keith Shigetomi, filed a motion for reconsideration of the sentence.

"Since being incarcerated at Halawa Correctional Facility, defendant has fully realized that he squandered the previous opportunity to succeed on probation," the motion said, asking for another chance.

On March 14, court documents show that Wong again resentenced Acasia, this time to five years' probation, despite objections from the prosecution.

Just 13 days later, another bench warrant was issued for Acasia's arrest after he failed to appear for a hearing. The $20,000 bail bench warrant had not been served when Nakoa was killed.

SAINT LOUIS GRAD

Nakoa, 58, had grown up on O'ahu and had graduated from Saint Louis School, but had been living with a cousin in Seattle recently. He was in town to attend his niece's wedding in Waikiki on Saturday.

After the reception, Nakoa was on Kalakaua Avenue when he saw the street fight, said his brother, Kalani Nakoa.

As the fourth of nine children, Ned Nakoa often stepped up as peacemaker, Kalani Nakoa said.

When Ned Nakoa saw the fight between the purse snatchers and the victim's boyfriend, Kalani Nakoa said, he probably thought he could solve the problem. "He would have tried to correct a situation like this," Kalani Nakoa said.

"Being a Good Samaritan so fits his personality. ... He is the kindest man. It's a big loss for all of us."

Nakoa's niece will never be able to celebrate her anniversary without remembering how her uncle died, Kalani Nakoa said.

"Ned was single," he said. "He had no children and so his nieces and nephews were extremely important to him. He had two things he wanted to do this year: One was the wedding and the other was a family reunion on Maui in August."

The Rev. Scott Bush maintained his friendship with Ned Nakoa after their years together at Saint Louis. Bush said Nakoa had a sense of humor and enjoyed pranks that weren't malicious, but that got him into trouble.

"He was my best friend when we went to school," Bush said. "He'd do things that would make you laugh. He loved life."

Another Saint Louis graduate, Buddy Los Banos, said Nakoa was a member of the glee club and a cheerleader.

"Ned was a really nice guy, you know what I mean?" Los Banos said.

ANOTHER TRAGEDY

The attack on Nakoa is the second on O'ahu against a Good Samaritan this year. In January, a 69-year-old man was knocked unconscious when he intervened as Alapeti Siuanu Tunoa Jr. allegedly beat Janel Tupuola to death with the stock of a shotgun in front of witnesses in Kailua.

The woman whose purse was stolen on Saturday night is a visitor from Vancouver, British Columbia. She was unhurt, but her boyfriend was injured and treated at a hospital.

The police affidavit said Pada kicked the Marine in the face and grabbed the woman's purse. Pada laughed as he ran away, police said.

Pada and Acasia ran from the scene of the subsequent street fight, but police said they arrested them at the Waikiki Resort Quest Hotel. Acasia was found hiding between vehicles near the hotel's loading dock.