LIHU‘E — The Anahola man accused of fatally shooting Kapa‘a resident Aureo Moore in broad daylight Friday morning near Anahola Beach Park made his first court appearance Wednesday. Vicente Hilario, 24, was charged this week with first-degree murder. Represented by
LIHU‘E — The Anahola man accused of fatally shooting Kapa‘a resident Aureo Moore in broad daylight Friday morning near Anahola Beach Park made his first court appearance Wednesday.
Vicente Hilario, 24, was charged this week with first-degree murder. Represented by Honolulu attorney Keith Shigetomi, he appeared in 5th Circuit Court for his preliminary hearing in shackles and orange garments from Kaua‘i Community Correctional Center.
Moore, 34, was reportedly killed with five .22 caliber bullets, including two shots at close range to the back of his head and three to his torso.
Four witnesses received subpoenas to testify before Judge Trudy Senda, but the court’s tight schedule only allowed one witness to take the stand Wednesday afternoon.
Ocean Safety Officer Kai Wedemeyer, the first on the scene, testified that he could not identify the suspects.
Wedemeyer said he was working at the Anahola lifeguard station alongside Ocean Safety Officer Carl Ragasa when Moore was shot some 300 yards away on Mana‘i Road.
“We just heard some gunshots and we responded to it,” he told the court, adding that it’s common to hear gunshots in the area at least once a week.
Wedemeyer said after hearing the shots he scanned the area with binoculars and saw two men apparently jogging south of Mana‘i Road. One of them was shirtless and the other was wearing a hooded shirt. Wedemeyer said he didn’t think much of it, until he saw cars backing down Mana‘i Road.
He then got into the lifeguard truck and in less than 45 seconds arrived at the crime scene. At that point, Wedemeyer said the men running up Mana‘i Road were already out of sight, plus he was more focused on the victim on the ground than the two men running the other direction.
Despite the seriousness of the wounds, Moore still had a pulse when Wedemeyer reached him. Wedemeyer said he radioed dispatch and started administering first-aid.
“I put gloves on and put pressure to the wounds,” Wedemeyer said.
Ragasa arrived at the scene shortly after being notified by Wedemeyer. Ocean Safety Bureau Supervisor Randy Ortiz was dispatched and arrived within a few minutes.
Ortiz brought a bottle of oxygen, which helped keep Moore alive until paramedics arrived. Moore was still alive when the ambulance took him to the hospital, but died from the wounds later that day.
Kaua‘i Police Department officers apprehended Hilario within hours of the shooting. Another potential suspect, whose name KPD has not released, was also brought in for questioning Friday but was later released without being charged.
Prosecutor Jake Delaplane repeatedly asked Wedemeyer if he would be able to identify the two men he saw running, but Wedemeyer said he only saw the men’s side profile and was too far away to identify them.
The bushes that grow alongside most of Mana‘i Road also made it difficult to get a better look at the two suspects, he said.
Wedemeyer told Shigetomi, the defense attorney, that the police showed him photographs of possible suspects but he was unable to identify them. Wedemeyer said he did not see Hilario that day.
Hilario’s family members declined to comment outside the courtroom Wednesday.
The hearing is set to continue with the other witnesses at 8 a.m., Jan. 4.
Arrest history
Over the past four years Hilario was arrested at least 10 times and Moore had been arrested at least twice. Their paths apparently crossed on at least one occasion.
Hilario was arrested Aug. 25, 2010, in connection with an armed robbery in broad daylight in the Safeway parking lot at Waipouli.
Moore was allegedly robbed of $900 in cash, plus over 150 tablets of oxycodone and over 50 tablets of morphine. Both are controlled substances.
Hilario, together with Akoni Davis, 21, of Hanama‘ulu, and Kyle Akau, 24, of Anahola, were all charged with first-degree robbery on that occasion.
The crime involved a .22 caliber handgun, the same caliber as the murder weapon. Akau allegedly fired at least one shot during the robbery.
Akau’s and Hilario’s bails were each set at $100,000. Davis’ bail was set at $20,000.
Hilario’s and Davis’ charges were dismissed without prejudice, which means the charges could be brought up at a later time.
County Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho said Akau remains in police custody, and his case is still pending.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@kauaipubco.com.
