POLICE BEAT
Man convicted in Maui slaying
WAILUKU, Maui — A Maui jury yesterday convicted Michael A. Pavich of second-degree murder in the death of a retired Navy doctor.
Pavich, 34, also was found guilty of robbery, burglary, kidnapping and a drug charge. He will be sentenced Dec. 13. Second Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza increased bail for Pavich to $1 million, and he remained in custody.
The body of Edward "Doc" Bird, 82, was found Dec. 3, 2000, on his bedroom floor at the Pacific Shores condominium in Kihei. Bird had welcomed neighborhood children into his home and was a familiar sight cruising along South Kihei Road in his motorized three-wheeler.
One of the children who visited him was the son of Lisa Avilla, 35, who, prosecutors said, took Pavich to Bird's apartment to rob him. Avilla testified Pavich struggled with the elderly man, hitting Bird on the head and choking him.
Avilla was charged with murder, but testified against her former boyfriend after prosecutors agreed to reduce the charge to manslaughter.
FIRE APPROACHES 'EWA ELEMENTARY
A four-acre brush fire just beyond the fence of 'Ewa Elementary School forced the evacuation of at least two classrooms yesterday afternoon.
The closest the fire came to a building was about 20 feet, according to Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Kenison Tejada. That building was evacuated, he said.
The fire began around 1:45 p.m. and about 30 firefighters responded. The students had completed a fire drill about two minutes before the fire was discovered.
MAN KILLED BY GUNSHOT IDENTIFIED
The medical examiner's office yesterday identified a man shot Wednesday night in Waipahu as 47-year-old Henchi Luther. He died from a gunshot to the head, but the examiner did not say if it was an accident, homicide or suicide.
The shooting in the parking lot of an apartment building at 94-111 Pupu'ole Place was reported about 10 p.m. Witnesses said Luther argued with a woman, went up to his third-floor unit and returned with a gun. He confronted four men who were drinking in the parking lot and fired several shots at them, police said.
Luther was found lying in the parking lot, shot once. He was dead at the scene, police said. The gun was recovered with him.
