Stomping on man’s face leaves 18-year-old with prison term

WAILUKU - An 18-year-old Kihei man who stomped on another man's face and punched him at a Kahului park was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison.

Second Circuit Judge Joel August followed a plea agreement in sentencing Taloa Latu, who pleaded no contest to second-degree assault for the incident that occurred Dec. 12.

While saying Latu took full responsibility for his actions, defense attorney Jennifer Oana said her client "never meant to assault anyone."

She said Latu had gone to a prearranged fight between two males at Kahului Community Center Park, but he was not supposed to be a participant.

But Latu intervened when he saw a third man jump into the fight, Oana said.

When Latu saw this, he thought one of the males in the fight was going to be mobbed and wanted to protect him, she said.

"It was a wrong decision even for Taloa to be there," Oana said.

According to court records, the victim was actually trying to break up the fight when Latu intervened.

August said Latu's past involves repeated acts of violence; he was expelled from a school because he assaulted a teacher, and he was sent to the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility on Oahu twice, once for assault and another time for terroristic threatening.

August said this Kahului assault occurred shortly after Latu was released from the youth facility.

While August said Latu had acknowledged in his letter to the court that he had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, the judge responded, "I think people choose to be at certain places at certain times."

August said it was to Latu's credit that he acknowledges his addiction to alcohol and drugs, which have been a problem since he was 12.

The judge also told Latu that he will still be young when he gets out of prison.

But August said the community needed to be protected, and he ordered the prison term to be served concurrently with another case.

"When you get involved in these situations, your freedom is diminished," August said.

Latu will serve his five-year prison term concurrently with a five-year prison sentence he received last week in another courtroom.

In that case, Latu pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of second-degree criminal property damage, second-degree assault and first-degree unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle for an incident on Feb. 6.

According to court testimony, an assault occurred as the victim was trying to leave a party in Kihei when Latu and another person began hitting the victim through the window of his car.

Latu hit a car window with his fist, causing it to shatter as the victim tried to drive away.

Latu had been out on bail for the Dec. 12 assault in Kahului when he took part in the Feb. 6 assault in Kihei.

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@ mauinews.com.