A 31-year-old Mountain View man who allegedly killed a 49-year-old man in a fight late Halloween night — apparently over a woman — is facing a murder charge.
A Hilo grand jury on Wednesday returned an indictment for second-degree murder against Kallen Imade. Imade was previously charged with manslaughter for the affray that killed Alfred “Junior” Vea in front of Vea’s Hema Street home.
“My re-review of the evidence that we have, and basically some follow-up on the evidence that we had developed over time,” are the reasons for the more serious murder charge, Deputy Prosecutor Joseph Lee said Thursday morning.
“I think there was more to it (than manslaughter), and that’s the reason we chose to go (to the grand jury) with the murder two (charge),” he said.
The indictment states Imade “intentionally or knowingly caused” Vea’s death.
A second-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole. A manslaughter conviction is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Lee said a second witness to the fight has come forward, in addition to a child who previously was the state’s only witness. He said police and prosecutors are still looking for more eyewitnesses to the fatal confrontation, which took place in the Lanakila Housing area.
According to court documents filed by police, Imade went to Vea’s house at about 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 31, looking for his former girlfriend, Shanell Mattos. Sources who spoke anonymously said Mattos was in a relationship with Vea, who was estranged from his wife.
Documents state Imade called out a derogatory name, and Vea came out of the house. The first witness reportedly told police Vea and the suspect, whom the child later identified as Imade from a photo lineup, assumed fighting stances, and Imade kicked the older man once to the lower leg.
Imade and Vea then grabbed each other, and Vea fell backwards down a small embankment and struck his head on the ground in the parking lot, the witness reportedly said.
According to police, the witness said Imade walked away from an unconscious Vea, who was taken to Hilo Medical Center for treatment and later flown to The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, where he died from his injuries Nov. 4.
Imade turned himself in to police on Nov. 3 after they released a wanted bulletin asking for public information about his whereabouts. He initially was charged with first-degree assault. The charge was changed to manslaughter after Vea died.
Imade is in custody in lieu of $250,000 bail. Lee said there was no bail increase with the murder charge.
Vea was the father of four sons and two daughters. He worked as a prep cook and dishwasher at the Coconut Grill restaurant in Hilo and had also recently worked at Nani Mau Gardens, where Coconut Grill chef/owner Mark Mattos is also the executive chef.
Horace Gray, Vea’s supervisor at the Coconut Grill, described Vea as a “great guy and awesome father.”
“He loved his kids,” Gray said. “That’s all he was about, the kids. He’d go fishing, take the kids fishing, take them to the beach. He enjoyed the ocean, just being out.”
Gray said he loved Vea “as a brother.”
“Everybody here liked working with him. He was great to be around,” Gray said. “So when he went to work at Nani Mau, and he came back to work with us on Friday, Halloween eve, and Saturday, Halloween day, all the workers came around and said, ‘Hi,’ because they hadn’t seen him for awhile.”
Gray said he and Vea’s other co-workers were “all shocked” about his death.
“Why him? Why not somebody else?” Gray said. “He’s a great guy. Why does something like that have to happen to this guy, when all he does is think about his kids, work and just enjoy life?”
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.
