honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, November 7, 2008

Felony charges mount for man, 18

By Jim Dooley
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Nicholas Nichols

spacer spacer

An 18-year-old man is implicated in two shootings this year that left victims permanently paralyzed, as well as an assault in July in which the face of a victim was "permanently disfigured" with a broken beer bottle, according to court records.

Nicholas Nichols was indicted Wednesday on multiple felony charges including attempted murder in the Aug. 11 armed invasion of a home on Hulaku'i Drive in Aliamanu.

In that case, Nichols allegedly shot Timothy Lapitan, 19, in the stomach, paralyzing him from the waist down.

Court records filed in a separate shooting case allege that Nichols was driving a car on Moanalua Freeway July 9 when a passenger in the car fired six gunshots into another vehicle, striking 16-year-old Roger Curioso and paralyzing him from the chest down.

Nichols has not been charged in that case. The alleged shooter, Joshua Gonda, 19, has been indicted on charges including attempted murder. Gonda has pleaded not guilty and trial is scheduled in December.

According to a police affidavit filed in that case, the shooting occurred because the car in which Curioso was a passenger was owned by "a member of a rival gang called the Bracatas."

Nichols allegedly followed the car from Kalihi Valley onto the freeway, speeding up near Tripler Army Medical Center to bring his car alongside the one carrying Curioso. Gonda allegedly fired six shots from a handgun, with one bullet striking Curioso in the chest and lodging in his spine.

In a third case, set to go trial next week, Nichols is charged with first-, second- and third-degree assault of Rudy Tabios, 19, and another man the evening of July 30 near Kalakaua District Park in Kalihi.

According to a police affidavit, Tabios said he was with a group of friends near the park and that Nichols was in another group of young men who were "also hanging out in the park drinking beer."

Nichols and others in his group allegedly punched and kicked a friend of Tabios, and Tabios grabbed a baseball bat and ran to help his friend, according to the affidavit.

Tabios alleged that Nichols threw a broken beer bottle at him, striking him in the face. Tabios said he dropped the bat and Nichols picked it up and began beating Tabios on the head with it.

Defense attorney Walter Rodby represents Nichols in the assault case and said his client was attacked by Tabios.

"Nicholas was attacked by a person with a baseball bat but he was able to get the bat away from him," Rodby said.

Nichols didn't throw the broken beer bottle, Rodby said.

"We have eyewitnesses who will say that Nicholas didn't throw the bottle," Rodby continued. "It was a big melee. Another person threw the bottle."

Rodby also said that Tabios and Nichols had been involved in "on and off relationships" with the same girlfriend.

Rodby declined comment on the two shooting cases, saying he has not yet been able to discuss them with Nichols.

Nichols is being held at O'ahu Community Correctional Center, unable to post $500,000 bail.

Another suspect in the Aliamanu shooting, a 17-year-old boy, was charged yesterday as an adult.

Family Court waived jurisdiction over John Matt Rasalan. He was charged as an adult with two counts of first-degree robbery, three counts of kidnapping, one count of first-degree burglary and six firearm offenses, all Class A felonies.

Reach Jim Dooley at jdooley@honoluluadvertiser.com.