AIEA, Hawaii — A 33-year-old woman was shot and killed Friday morning at a parking lot near Pearlridge Center, according to Lt. Deena Thoemmes, who spoke at a press conference Friday evening.
Honolulu police officers were called to the scene around 10:15 a.m. Friday. When officers arrived at the scene, the woman was found with fatal gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspect, who was identified as 44-year-old Jason Cachuela, fled the scene. Police later found him dead behind a Waipahu residence.
Police did not identify the victim, but said the Cachuela and victim were involved in a relationship. The victim had filed a Temporary Restraining Order against Cachuela.
According to a statement from Thoemmes sent to media after the press conference, the victim filed the initial Temporary Restraining Order on Dec. 8, 2023. On Dec. 11, 2023, officers with the Specialized Services Division served Cachuela with a TRO. At that time, the SSD officers recovered all five of the suspect’s registered firearms.
Thoemmes said a child was present at the fatal shooting, but did not provide further information.
She said the case is classified as a murder in the first degree and the investigation is ongoing.
Pali Momi Medical Center was under a lockdown from 10:10 a.m. until 12:46 p.m. on Friday, according to Hawaii Pacific Health spokesperson Liz Chun Uyehara. She said this was “a precaution due to a shooting that occurred this morning.”
“The Honolulu Police Department has informed us that there is no active threat in the area and Pali Momi’s security team has issued an all-clear. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused,” said Pali Momi’s COO Gloria Brooks.
A spokesperson for Pearlridge Center said that the shopping center is referring all questions to HPD.
Editor's note: this story has been updated with statements from HPD Lt. Deena Thoemmes. (Dec. 22, 2023)