LIHUE — A convicted murderer will have an additional 10 years tacked on to a life term after a separate sentencing Thursday in 5th Circuit Court. Vicente Kote Kapika Hilario, 27, of Anahola, was sentenced to 10-year prison terms for
LIHUE — A convicted murderer will have an additional 10 years tacked on to a life term after a separate sentencing Thursday in 5th Circuit Court.
Vicente Kote Kapika Hilario, 27, of Anahola, was sentenced to 10-year prison terms for each of three B-felony weapon possession and drug charges. He was sentenced to a five-year term for a C-felony drug charge.
Chief Judge Randal Valenciano said the prison terms would run concurrent with one another. However, he said they would run consecutive with the life sentence without parole from the first-degree murder conviction in April 2013.
A 5th Circuit jury convicted Hilario of the first-degree murder of 34-year-old Aureo Eric Moore at Anahola Beach Park on Dec. 17, 2010. He was sentenced to life without parole in July and is being housed at Kauai Community Correctional Center.
In this case, another jury found Hilario guilty of weapons and drugs possession in May 2013. The sentencing was scheduled for that September when the court allowed the withdrawal of Hilario’s court-appointed attorney, Warren Perry, and for his murder trial attorney, Keith Shigetomi, to step back in prior to sentencing.
Valenciano said the court stands by the jury verdict. He denied motions to dismiss the case and ordered the weapons confiscated.
The crime occurred on Aug. 24, 2010 after Hilario was pulled over by Kauai police officers near a Wailua gas station.
He was wanted in connection to an alleged role in the armed robbery of Moore two days prior in the parking lot of the Kapaa Safeway.
Shigetomi argued that it was Hilario’s passenger, Kyle Akau, who fled the vehicle on foot and in possession of a backpack that was found near the scene of his arrest. The backpack contained a Jennings .22-caliber pistol with ammunition; a Colt .45 handgun with ammunition; 123 oxycodone pills, and items with Hilario’s name on them.
Shigetomi motioned to dismiss two duplicate firearms counts. Based on the potential appeal of Hilario’s cases, the judge said he would not dismiss the two counts, but for the purpose of sentencing, the court would not sentence the defendant on those two counts.
Akau, 27, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for violating probation in March. He lost his probation for the armed robbery of Moore at the Safeway parking lot Aug. 21, 2010.
County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Melinda Mendes argued that the oxycodone found in the bag was likely from the Moore robbery. The presence of $2,792 in cash was more evidence of drug dealing, she said.
Hilario is convicted of the shooting death of Moore, who was to testify against Akau in the robbery trial.
