Post by Scumhunter on Nov 14, 2017 17:56:26 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: hawaiinewsnow.com via CrimeStoppers)
From hawaiinewsnow.com:
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -
After jumping onto a chartered plane to Maui on Sunday, the State Hospital escapee who's been described as a "violent psychopath" boarded a flight headed for California, sources say.
Sources tell Hawaii News Now that Randall Saito, 59, was long gone from the islands before the state Health Department even alerted authorities that he'd escaped.
Saito walked away from the State Hospital in Kaneohe on Sunday morning, got into a waiting cab and boarded the charter plane to Maui.
Then, multiple sources say, Saito was able to board another plane, a Hawaiian Airlines flight to San Jose, Calif. That flight landed about 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
The state Health Department didn't report his escape to authorities until about 8 p.m., and authorities put out an alert to the community about 8:20 p.m.
It's not known whether Saito is still in California, though officials have said he has family there. Federal agencies, including the FBI and U.S. Marshals, have joined the growing manhunt for him.
Authorities have called Saito a "violent psychopath," and prosecutors have argued for years that he should not be unsupervised in the community.
He was acquitted by reason of insanity in 1979 of the gruesome murder of a woman at Ala Moana Center.
The FBI, U.S. Marshals, and local authorities are all involved in the manhunt, though it's not clear whether Saito is still on Maui.
Sources say Saito took a cab to Lagoon Drive shortly after escaping Sunday from the Hawaii State Hospital on Sunday.
There, he had a charter plane waiting for him and he fled to Maui.
Saito has family in California, but officials aren't saying whether they believe that might be his destination.
'Risk of danger'
Those who have fought to keep Saito away from the community for years warn he is psychopathic and dangerous.
"Because he committed a murder, no matter how long ago it was, he still has ability or inherent ability to do another murder or violent crime," Deputy Prosecutor Wayne Tashima said.
In 2015, Tashima says the court denied a motion that would have allowed Saito to take unsupervised trips off hospital grounds.
"Because of the risk of danger he posed, we weren't comfortable with him being out there. Even with an escort," Tashima said.
Saito was acquitted by reason of insanity for the gruesome 1979 killing of 29-year-old Sandra Yamashiro at Ala Moana Center.
Sources confirm that despite Saito's dangerous past and violent tendencies, he was allowed to roam the grounds of the hospital freely, with a requirement that he check in with staff periodically.
On Sunday, he failed to check in. Police say he left the facility around 9 a.m. and never returned.
The State Department of Health did not immediately notify law enforcement that Saito was missing. Within the hour, sources say, he was on the charter plane heading to Maui.
Students at nearby Windward Community College say they were notified late Sunday night.
"I'm kind of always alert of what's around me because I'm by myself over here, but it's just kinda scary because he escaped so close to where I work and go to school," said Ashlyn Yasuda, who works at WCC.
Police released photos of Saito leaving the hospital Monday. Cameras captured him wearing a red jacket, pants and a button-up aloha shirt.
The 1979 Murder
Saito's victim was selected at random, authorities said at the time, shot in the face with a pellet gun and then fatally stabbed. After the murder, Saito was reportedly diagnosed with sexual sadism and necrophilia, or sexual attraction to corpses.
He was committed to the Hawaii State Hospital after a judge acquitted him.
At the time, the city prosecutor vehemently disagreed with the decision, calling his acquittal a "miscarriage of justice."
"The defendant committed a cold-blooded murder," the prosecutor said.
Saito has sought release from the Hawaii State Hospital since the early 1990s, but those requests have always been denied.
In 1981, his attorney did not contest Saito's committal, saying he was dangerous and "intends to do it again."
Nearly two decades later, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported that state prosecutors believed Saito fit "all the criteria of a serial killer" and opposed his release. And in 2002, in a Honolulu Advertiser article, prosecutors questioned why Saito was granted unescorted leave from the facility.
"He is a psychopathic predator whose mental condition continues to represent a serious danger to the community," deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey Albert said at the time.
Hawaii News Now has reached out to the state Health Department, which manages the State Hospital, to get additional details on the rules Saito must follow under his commitment to the State Hospital.
A Health Department spokeswoman would not elaborate on Saito's restrictions.
DOH said in a news release, however, that the State Hospital "takes all escapes seriously and has safeguards in place to minimize the chances of these from occurring. A thorough investigation is now underway to gather more details to identify areas for improvement."
The statement continued: "To comply with federal and state privacy laws, the Hawaii Department of Health may not disclose information on Hawaii State Hospital patients. We are also aware of the need to support the safety of the public and per protocol, any escape is reported to law enforcement to expedite searches for patients, including the patient who escaped from the Hawaii State Hospital on Sunday."
Saito is described as being 6 feet tall and heavy set with black hair. Authorities are urging the public to not approach or try to apprehend Saito.
www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/36830915/state-hospital-escapee-took-second-flight-from-maui-to-california?utm_content=buffer2d554&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Thoughts? This is a breaking news case and a very dangerous fugitive should he be in Hawaiii or California or anywhere for that matter
Admin Note #1: According to articles, anyone who sees Saito is asked to call 911 or the Hawaii State Sheriffs Special Operations Division at (808) 587-3632.
Admin Note #2: If you have any (news-related) updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
