Police have charged a recently paroled murderer with four felony offenses in connection with an early morning shooting Jan. 31 at Honoliilookout in Hilo that hospitalized a 31-year-old Kona man. ADVERTISING Police have charged a recently paroled murderer with four
Police have charged a recently paroled murderer with four felony offenses in connection with an early morning shooting Jan. 31 at Honoliilookout in Hilo that hospitalized a 31-year-old Kona man.
John Perez III of Hilo was charged at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday with attempted second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission ofa separate felony, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and carrying a firearm on the highway.
His bail was set at $350,000, and he is scheduled to make his initial appearance Friday in Hilo District Court.
Another suspect in the Honolii shooting, 29-year-old Scottie I.K. Yanagawa of Hilo, was killed in a Feb. 9 shootout with police in the HiloWal-Mart parking lot.
The 43-year-old Perez was paroled Dec. 18. He was serving a life sentence for the Aug. 27, 1991, beating and strangulation death ofJuliana “Trish” Laysa, a 23-year-old prostitute whose body was found two days later in a sugar cane field above Alae Cemetery in Hilo.
Perez, a reputed gang leader, said he contributed to Laysa’s death, but accused another man, Tad Mason, of the actual killing. Perez saidMason called himself “The Prince of Darkness” and had sacrificed a dog in a satanic ritual.
Perez said he and Mason had sex with Laysa in the graveyard before killing her. According to court transcripts, an FBI laboratory foundPerez’s DNA, but not Mason’s, inside Laysa. Perez is also the only one who placed Mason at the murder scene.
Perez later recanted his testimony against Mason, but Mason was convicted and sentenced to life plus 20 years. He remains incarceratedin Saguaro Correctional Center in Arizona.
Police continue to seek witnesses to the shooting which occurred at Honolii lookout shortly before 4:35 a.m. on Jan. 31.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective Clarence Davies at 961-2383 or clarence.davies@hawaiicounty.gov,or Detective Todd Pataray at 961-2382 or todd.pataray@hawaiicounty.gov.
Those who prefer anonymity may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
