LIHU‘E — A Kapa‘a man faces up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced in November after pleading no contest to charges he caused seven traffic accidents on his way from Lihu‘e to Kapa‘a in December. In a
LIHU‘E — A Kapa‘a man faces up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced in November after pleading no contest to charges he caused seven traffic accidents on his way from Lihu‘e to Kapa‘a in December.
In a plea agreement, Randy Melendez, 56, on Tuesday changed his plea from not guilty to no contest on several charges, and prosecutors agreed to drop four reckless-driving charges and one charge of resisting an order to stop his vehicle.
Fifth Circuit Judge Kathleen Watanabe found Melendez guilty of five misdemeanor counts of causing traffic accidents involving property damage, one count of causing a traffic accident where someone was injured, also a misdemeanor, and two felony counts of first-degree criminal property damage.
The felony counts each carry maximum penalties of 10 years in prison and $25,000 fines, and the multiple-felony sentencing allows Watanabe to double up each term, for a potential maximum of 40 years in prison, the judge said.
The misdemeanor counts call for maximums of one year in prison each, and fines of $2,000 each.
State Deputy Public Defender John Calma said Melendez, his client, is in counseling.
County First Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Lori Wada said Melendez failed to stop or render aid in all seven of the accidents, including the one causing injury and the ones where two others were threatened with death or bodily injury by the defendant’s actions.
Melendez signed a form indicating that he does not wish to contest the charges against him.
Asked by Watanabe why he was changing his plea, Melendez said, “‘Cause I did it, and that’s the way to go.”
A pre-sentencing diagnostic report will take around 10 weeks to prepare, so Watanabe set sentencing for Nov. 4.
