HONOLULU — The case of a toddler severely injured at a day care run by a woman married to a Honolulu police officer isn’t closed, the department’s acting chief said Wednesday.
Acting Chief Cary Okimoto apologized on behalf of the department to the parents of Peyton Valiente, who was 17 months old when he suffered a brain injury from forceful shaking. Chelsea and Rey Valiente believe the baby sitter’s police connection is the reason there have been no arrests two years later.
Okimoto told the police commission Wednesday that he personally looked into the case and is disappointed because it didn’t move as quickly as it should have. Witnesses had already secured attorneys before detectives interviewed them, he said.
“I’m highly disappointed,” he said. “It kind of makes me sad. I know if it was my child I would be upset.”
Police are asking prosecutors to look at options for prosecuting the case.
“I don’t think there’s going to be a positive outcome,” Assistant Chief Richard Robinson said, adding that he doesn’t want to give the family false hope. Witnesses aren’t cooperative, making it a difficult case to resurrect, he said.
Chelsea Valiente, the now 3-year-old boy’s mom, told commissioners she doesn’t appreciate that outlook when the case isn’t resolved.
The case that has added more scrutiny to a department whose chief was recently pushed to retire amid a federal investigation into allegations of corruption and civil rights abuses.
Okimoto ordered an administrative inquiry to see whether the department followed investigative procedures and policies after the Valientes shared their story with Honolulu online news site, Civil Beat.
The story prompted an audit of 112 cases from 2015 to 2016 involving serious harm to a child. Of the cases that were pending further developments, three needed more investigative work, Robinson said.
Commissioners also discussed moving forward on hiring a new chief.
Wednesday marked Louis Kealoha’s first day of retirement after receiving $250,000 severance for agreeing to retire.
He went on paid leave after receiving a letter from the FBI in December indicating he was the target of an investigation.
The investigation into Kealoha began after allegations surfaced that he and his deputy city prosecutor wife, Katherine Kealoha, framed her uncle for the theft of the Kealoha’s home mailbox to discredit him in a family financial dispute. Attorneys for the couple say they haven’t done anything wrong.
A retired officer involved in the mailbox case has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and four other officers have received target letters from the FBI.