Dana Gonsalves, 35, was in Fifth District Court last Tuesday on a misdemeanor citation. But that relatively minor offense quickly turned into a major complication when Gonsalves was picked up at the courthouse in Lihu’e on a bench warrant. Gonsalves
Dana Gonsalves, 35, was in Fifth District Court last Tuesday on a misdemeanor citation.
But that relatively minor offense quickly turned into a major complication when Gonsalves was picked up at the courthouse in Lihu’e on a bench warrant.
Gonsalves was arrested for a probation violation which stemmed from a felony theft conviction in December 1999. He was out on probation, and according to Kaua’i County chief deputy prosecutor Craig De Costa, Gonsalves didn’t comply with the conditions of his release.
“His probation is being revoked,” De Costa said.
According to family members, Gonsalves told Fifth Circuit Court Judge Clifford Nakea that he was renouncing his American citizenship and declaring himself a Kanaka Maoli, returning to his birthright and “stepping out” of America.
Gonsalves was then taken to Kaua’i Community Correctional Center on the bench warrant, where he refused to eat or wear jail clothing for the first 24 hours of his incarceration.
Warden Neal Wagatsuma said Gonsalves began to comply the second day of his latest jail stay.
“He came in here and claimed sovereignty. But he has to comply” with rules and regulations for security and safety, Wagatsuma said.
He said Gonsalves initially was kept in a separate holding cell, but that couldn’t continue indefinitely.
“He’s confusing the criminal thing with the sovereignty thing. They are different things. If he didn’t comply, we would have to implement procedures” to make him obey the jail rules, Wagatsuma said.
Wagatsuma said he would reason with the prisoner, which evidently worked.
Another inmate briefly refused to eat last year, but that was resolved peacefully, according to Wagatsuma.
Meanwhile, in Fifth Circuit Court cases last Tuesday:
- Hannibal Huihui was convicted of assault in 1999 and was sentenced to four years in jail. He had appealed the length of his sentence and was free while on appeal. But, according to Kaua’i County chief deputy prosecutor Craig De Costa, Huihui was arrested on unspecified federal charges and is now in federal custody, so no action was taken on his appeal on the state convictions Tuesday.
- Noel Dacuycuy is charged with sexual assault in the third degree in two cases involving two sisters, both minors. One of the complainants has returned to the Philippines, according to De Costa, but Dacuycuy is set for trial on the other charges July 2.
He remains out on bail at this time.
Staff writer Dennis Wilken can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) and mailto:dwilken@pulitzer.net
