Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

We met a young woman on our downtown walking tour a few years ago. She looked to be in her mid-twenties and had a no-nonsense air about her. Toward the end of our tour, as we walked along Richards Street, she caught up to me and asked about the history of the Aloha Tower area, where she worked, and, more specifically, Pier 11.

I answered her with a question of my own, “Did something happen there that you’re concerned about?”

She explained that she’d thought ghosts and spirits only came out at night, but something strange happened during a shift in the middle of the day. The woman said that part of her job was to walk through each building to ensure everything was in order. It was all pretty routine for her, something she did every day. 

After entering the building a little after 1:00 p.m., she noticed a few people walking about. People were speaking softly, going about their day. No one seemed to be loitering unnecessarily. No problems or issues were waiting for her, which was just how she liked it. 

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain on the side of her head. It felt like someone yanked the short hairs near her ear. Hard. Before she could make sense of what happened, she felt the sensation again, and yet again within seconds. She let out a loud scream and ran.

“Where was I running to? I don’t know,” she said quietly, “I just had to get out of there.”

The woman’s experience wasn’t the first time someone claimed to have felt an invisible presence at Pier 11 and the attached Harbors Division building. Some people have shared that they heard voices when the building was empty, and others have said they saw moving shadows at night. But this young woman is the only one we’ve known to have had such a physical encounter with something unseen there. As strange as her experience may be, it seems more unsettling when we consider what stood upon that parcel of land more than a hundred years ago. 

A short walk from Pier 11 is the heart of Downtown Honolulu, a city layered with centuries of royal history, sacred sites, and long-forgotten memories. Before the cruise ships and concrete buildings, this stretch of shoreline was home to Pakaka Heiau, a sacred place that once observed secret rituals and royal power.

In Kamehameha’s day, Pakaka was already ancient, built before the time of the great warrior ali‘i, Kakuhihewa. For centuries, this heiau was a gathering place for kāhuna to learn and train in their respective arts. In one particular description, it is said that the walls of the heiau were adorned all around with the heads of men offered in sacrifice.

Having already secured the islands of Hawai‘i and Maui and then conquering O‘ahu, Kamehameha I made the seat of his kingdom in Honolulu and his personal home at Pakaka. In 1810, he met with King Kaumuali‘i of Kaua‘i at Pakaka to finalize negotiations for unifying the Hawaiian Islands under a single rule. In exchange for his loyalty, Kamehameha promised Kaumuali‘i that he would never invade Kaua‘i or Ni‘ihau and would do all in his power to help maintain the two islands. From this meeting, a unified Hawai‘i was born.

Progress dramatically reshaped Honolulu’s original shoreline around the turn of the 20th century. The natural coastline was gradually filled in with crushed coral and dredged materials from the harbor floor, extending the land outward into the harbor and creating space to accommodate Honolulu’s growing needs. 

In 1926, construction of the iconic Aloha Tower began on this newly formed land, and by 1927, Piers 10 and 11 were completed just alongside it. During the construction of Nimitz Highway in the 1950s, part of Pier 11 was torn down and the Harbors Division building, now known as the Hale Awa Ku Moku building was then erected perpendicular to Pier 11 and along the shoreline.

As we know, the changing landscape doesn’t always erase history. Sometimes, remnants of the past appear as shadows and whispers, and apparently, even hair pulls.

The woman never told me whether she quit her job as a security guard or whether she remained employed. After my brief explanation of the history of Pier 11 and Pakaka heiau, she let out a heavy sigh.

The woman smiled and said with a bit of sarcasm and a quiet laugh, “Thanks, I really needed to know that.”

DOT Harbors Division

<title>A Hair Pulling Ghost at the Pier</title>

Honolulu's waterfront changed dramatically 100 years ago, but the presence of an even older past did not.

A Hair Pulling Ghost at the Pier

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Real Estate

[{"text":"Most real estate reporting focuses on median home prices.","type":"text"}]

Of course, that's only one way to look at things — the statistical midpoint, where half the prices are higher than the median and half are lower.

In reality, buyers and sellers are interested in that fuller range of real prices. With that in mind, Aloha State Daily will be looking at neighborhoods, even at single apartment buildings, to find the highest priced home on the market as well as the lowest, so that you can see the range of what you can get for your money.

Today, we’re looking at active listings of single-family homes in the Kailua Beachside neighborhood, which is located on the oceanside of Kalāheo Avenue.

[{"text":"Here’s what we found.","type":"text"}]

[{"text":"Lowest: 50 Kamani Kai Place","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

[{"text":"Price: $3,999,000","type":"text"}]

[{"text":"Co-listed by Kerri Jo Heim and Cathy Bridges, Compass","type":"text"}]

This newly remodeled 2,660-square-foot, five-bedroom, three-bath home — located just a short distance from Kailua Beach — hit the market last week.

, the home has hardwood flooring, and a new custom kitchen with a “unique” copper range hood and lead-paned windows.

Heim told ASD that when redoing the kitchen, the placement of everything was kept as it was.

“What they’ve really done is really nice upgrades and really keeping the original character of the home.”

The sewer line that goes from the house to the street also has been replaced, she said.

According to the listing, the primary suite has a newly remodeled bathroom with a separate shower and tub, while three other bedrooms located on the other side of the home share another remodeled bathroom. And the lower level of the split-level home has been converted into a new guest suite with a wet bar, bathroom and laundry room.

Built in 1968, the home was designed by noted local architect 

Heim says Hogan was known for his mid-century modern designs — but this house doesn’t have that aesthetic. The owner who commissioned the home had a lot of input, she said, “so that’s why it’s got more of a Mediterranean feel rather than a mid-century modern feel.”  

Hogan was also known for spending a lot of time at a site before designing a home, she said, adding that it's said that he did that with this home, to see how the air flowed and light played on the lot.

“The home is situated just a little differently. It just captures breezes and it just feels right,” Bridges said.

The property also has a heated pool as well as a covered, screened-in lānai with built-in seating that fronts the pool.

The other side of the home also has a lānai with more of a garden view, the Realtors said.

The “spectacular ceiling” and the finishes are some of Heim’s favorite features of the home.

The real estate agents, who spoke to ASD in a joint phone call, also noted the home’s floor plan.

“There’s a lot of separation and space in that house,” Heim said. “You don’t feel like you’re on top of each other.”

[{"text":"Heim and Bridges said the house is a unique custom home for the area.","type":"text"}]

[{"text":"“This house just is full of charm and character.”","type":"text"}]

Highest: Mele Komo Beachfront Estate, 508 N. Kalāheo Ave.

[{"text":"Price: $50 million","type":"text"}]

[{"text":"Listed by Stephanie Rae Band, Compass  ","type":"text"}]

Sitting on 2.2 acres on Kailua Beach, Mele Komo Beachfront Estate is comprised of three structures: two homes totaling 12,005 square feet and a pool cabana that provides additional living space.

The property, which has its own privately owned beach access, also offers views of the Mokulua Islands off the Windward Coast.

, the first 5,835-square-foot home has 6 beds and 6.5 baths while the second home has the same number of beds and baths and is 6,170 square feet.

A 2,000-square-foot pool cabana, which is an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, also boasts a full kitchen, full bath, loft space and laundry facilities.

Band says the oceanfront property is “very special,” and that you won’t be able to find another oceanfront lot available in the neighborhood that’s bigger.

“It’s right in the best spot of Kailua, where the beach is super sandy, and the water is not very close to the property line, which is great. You actually do get a beach.”

One of the homes, positioned closer to the beach, offers views of the Mokulua Islands and the other has “this beautiful 180-degree ocean view,” according to Band.

Because of its design, Band says nine of the 12 bedrooms face the ocean and 11 have private lānais or outdoor spaces. One room actually has two private lānais — one that overlooks the ocean and one that overlooks the pool and the mountains. 

Along with 201 linear feet of beachfront, the property also features a 96,000-gallon pool that has a waterfall, commercial-grade slide, jacuzzi and grotto.

[{"text":"For Band, the pool area is one her favorite parts of the home.","type":"text"}]

“It’s just impressive. I truly believe that resorts don’t have a pool like this.”  

There’s plenty of space in the pool area, too, and the landscaping and design also offers privacy, Band says.

508 N Kalaheo 1

<title>High-Low: On the market in Kailua Beachside</title>

Median home prices are just one way to look at the real estate market. In this new feature, Aloha State Daily will look at neighborhoods, and even single apartment buildings, to find the highest- and lowest-priced homes on the market so readers can see the spectrum of what's available. Up first, Kailua Beachside.

High-Low: On the market in Kailua Beachside

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

NFL Sundays were days to be cherished for Cam Stone and his mother, Rachel Garza Epps. Because she suffered from lupus, the two would spend ample time indoors to limit her sun exposure. Mother and son always bonded over their shared fandom of the sport, particularly the Dallas Cowboys.

"I didn't play football at all when I was with her, due to her having lupus. It's probably a lot more to it than I know, but she would never be able to be outside long enough to even watch me play, so I never got a chance to play football or anything," Stone recalled in a recent interview with Aloha State Daily. "But when the game came on, we were both right there watching it. Any sports, really. 

"But football got the most rowdy, and I just enjoyed that time with her."

Stone was 12 when his mother suddenly passed. He's still reluctant to discuss the details, but remembers it was summer day when he was told she had suffered a seizure. 

"We'd always talk about me playing and just having those aspirations and dreams, and just never had the chance to have her in person for one of those," he said. 

Stone decided to give football a true shot "probably a year after my mom passed," he said. He started off as a running back, where he says he scored a touchdown the first time he got the ball but "never got the ball again." He also dabbled as a safety. 

His junior high days were spent playing wide receiver and cornerback. At the tail end of his high school career, he narrowed his focus to cornerback, the position where he established himself as a legitimate professional football prospect at the college level. 

"I eventually switched straight to corner," he said. "There was no looking back."

A first-team All-District honoree at Angleton High, his hometown school in Texas, Stone began his collegiate career at the University of Wyoming, choosing the Cowboys among a handful of other Group of Five offers. 

Despite joining Wyoming during the middle of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, Stone earned immediate playing time with the Cowboys, seeing action in five of the team's six games. In 2021 and 2022, he established himself as one of the Mountain West's top cornerbacks and kick returners. 

Seeking a fresh start, Stone entered the NCAA transfer portal and received a bevy of offers, signing with the University of Hawai‘i. In 2023, he earned All-Mountain West honorable mention honors for the third straight year after finishing with 24 tackles, six pass breakups and an interception. He also doubled as the team's kick returner, averaging 20.7 yards per return. 

The 2023 offseason proved to be a character-forming set of months for Stone, a sequence where his priorities were tested. 

Coaches across the country loved what they saw from Stone's tape. Although he didn't enter the portal, that never stopped the vultures from circling. 

"A lot of schools were in the mix, but I'll leave their names out," Stone recalled with a grin. 

In the current age of college athletics, standout players from conferences like the Mountain West with remaining eligibility still get recruited by other schools across the country, with promises of more money and the like. 

Stone prayed about it. He talked to family, friends and other trusted confidants. He decided he was going to stay. With one year of college ball left, he wasn't ready to leave the Islands just yet. He also got engaged to his now-fiancée, Elisa, in December 2023, and didn't want to immediately move the couple across the country. 

"Do I really want to go through that process again? New teammates, a whole new surrounding, an environment that I'm unfamiliar with. When I built these bonds, and the way I looked at Hawai‘i at the time was we weren't where we wanted to be, and I didn't want to leave on that note at all, considering coach (Timmy) Chang brought me in on his vision, and I felt it was nowhere near complete," Stone recalled. "So how could I ever leave when that's the reason I came? It was really big for me to stay. 

"I had built those relationships, and I know what it felt like to leave the other relationships that I had built at Wyoming, and I didn't want to go through that again."

In rebuilding the program's staff, Chang brought in 

 to be the team's new defensive coordinator prior to the 2024 season. Thurman, a former cornerback himself, played in the NFL for nine years and coached in it for 14, serving as a defensive coordinator for four of them. As the year progressed, Stone's visits with Thurman went from frequent to daily. He was hungry to learn and improve. 

The 2024 season, Stone's senior year, proved to be his best as a college football player. He started all 12 games, earning first-team All-Mountain Conference honors. Teams tried to avoid throwing in his direction, but he still had eight pass breakups and two interceptions. He also had 38 tackles and a forced fumble, grading out as Pro Football Focus' No. 3 cornerback in coverage grade nationally and fifth in overall defense among all players. 

Despite his status as the team's top corner, he continued to play on special teams. A blocked extra point in a 21-20 win at Fresno State proved to be the difference. Although the Rainbow Warriors finished 5-7, falling short of a bowl bid, he continued to win the respect of his teammates and coaches. Following the season, he was named the team's MVP. 

"Cam is a great person, loves football, his coaches and his teammates," UH cornerbacks coach PJ Minaya said. "Really bought into our program and trusted us in his senior year. Took the coaching and worked to get better. I think he would be a great pickup for any NFL team."

Added 12-year NFL veteran Rich Miano, who followed Stone closely as an analyst for Spectrum Sports: "Great balance and patience. Good quickness and speed. The most polished corner to come out of Hawai‘i in a long time. Should surprise people and make (an NFL) roster."

After the season, Stone flew home to the Houston area in preparation for the NFL Draft. His pre-draft process included ten weeks of rigorous training, including an appearance in the Hula Bowl. At UH's pro day at the end of March, he ran a 40-yard dash of 4.46 seconds. 

Nearly every NFL team has checked in with Stone, although he says serious inquires have come from half a dozen teams. He's anticipating a move from cornerback to nickelback. The work hasn't stopped for Stone, who continues to work out on O‘ahu in anticipation of rookie minicamp. He plans to spend draft week with his fiancée and former UH teammates. 

"Day 3 (of the draft), we will definitely have our eyes out. I do believe I'll get a call, regardless whether I'm drafted or not," Stone said. "The opportunity will present itself. I do believe I'll put myself in position for that. But yeah, we'll be paying attention Day 3, so we'll see what happens."

Standing at 5-foot-10, Stone believes his height isn't a measurement of everything else he has to offer. A tattoo on each forearm, combining to read 'Hard Times,' is a constant reminder of what he's endured. 

"It's kind of a testament, or just a realization of where I've been, the things I overcame. Just kept going," Stone said. "That's kind of why the cracks are there, but it's still holding on. Just my ability to keep going and not give up for a way bigger cause. 

"I've always had a chip on my shoulder, whether it be on or off the field. I've been relentless. I just keep going. And I'm a dog, despite what people label me as physically. I get my job done, and I hold people accountable."

As Stone prepares to learn his NFL fate, it will be one step of a journey that began from watching games on the couch with his mother. After watching the pros as a kid, Stone is days away from officially calling himself one.

"I know she's proud," Stone said of his mother. "Man, I just wish she was here for this process."

Cam Stone senior night 042225

<title>Molded by past adversities, Hawai‘i football star Cam Stone set to begin pro career</title>

The 2025 NFL Draft runs from Thursday to Saturday, with Stone viewed as a potential Day 3 selection.

Molded by past adversities, Hawai‘i football star Cam Stone set to begin pro career

Michael Brestovansky

Crime & Courts

A U.S. Marine stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i in Kāne‘ohe Bay was arrested last weekend for allegedly sexually assaulting an 11-year-old in Kailua.

Carlos David Becerraluis, 19, was arrested Saturday, April 19, on four charges of first-degree sexual assault, three of third-degree sexual assault, five of first-degree child abuse, two of promoting pornography to a minor and one of child enticement.

According to a Honolulu Police Department report, a Kailua mother informed the police earlier this month that she had found sexually explicit messages between her daughter and an unknown male on her daughter’s phone. Those messages crossed multiple messaging platforms, but began on the France-based app Wizz.

The daughter told police the male’s name was Carlos and that he was 15 years old. However, subsequent investigation of the male’s phone number identified him as Becerraluis, who Naval Criminal Investigative Service identified as a 19-year-old Marine.

According to the report, the victim told police that Becerraluis had first contacted her through Wizz, a messaging app aimed at youth between the ages of 13 and 24. Wizz touts on its website a userbase of between 4 million and 5 million users and claims that “25% of U.S. teens have downloaded Wizz.” 

According to Wizz’s website, users are organized into specific age groups — 14-year-old users can only interact with users of similar ages, for example — and new users must provide a clear photo of their faces so an AI can estimate their age for official verification.

The victim told police that she had claimed to be 14 on Wizz, but used a photograph of herself at 11 years old. Becerraluis, meanwhile, was identified on the app as being 15.

Becerraluis allegedly told the victim to download Snapchat to continue their conversation — pictures and videos sent via Snapchat automatically delete after being viewed. Following this, their conversations migrated to text messages, which were eventually obtained by Honolulu police officers.

In those messages, Becerraluis allegedly repeatedly asked the victim to meet in person, to which she eventually agreed. During their meeting in Kailua, she said, Becerraluis sexually assaulted her in his car multiple times.

Following that incident, police say, Becerraluis sent sexually explicit photographs to the victim, and encouraged her to do the same. After several exchanges, the victim stopped responding to his messages, which were eventually discovered by the victim’s mother.

First-degree sexual assault and first-degree child abuse are both Class A felonies, carrying a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. As the charges include child sex crimes, they also carry a mandatory minimum sentence of six years and eight months.

Becerraluis appeared in court Monday for an arraignment with bail set at $1 million. He will appear next in court for a preliminary hearing on April 23.

Aloha State Daily has reached out to the Marine Corps and Wizz for comment.

BECERRALUI Scarlos 16x9

<title>Messaging apps implicated in alleged assault of 11-year old</title>

A U.S. Marine charged with sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl had first contacted the child on an app called Wizz.

Messaging apps implicated in alleged assault of 11-year old

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

These new limited-edition Lilo & Stitch Spam Classic cans are now available at Hawaiʻi retailers. We learned this through a post from 

, and stopped at the closest Longs Drugs store (in this case, the one at Salt Lake Shopping Center) to see if we could get our hands on them.

There are three different designs available, but this Longs Drugs store only had two of them.

We were told the cans are usually $3.79 each — the same price as the other Spam varieties — but there was a sale during the time of our visit, so we scored two cans for $5.50. And no, this isnʻt a tropical Spam flavor; the cans just sport a new design, in honor of the upcoming live action Lilo & Stitch movie by Disney.

If you don’t see these limited-edition cans, ask a staff member. In our case, these were so new that they weren’t even stocked on store shelves just yet.

While these cans are currently available at Hawaiʻi retailers, they will be on the US Mainland starting May 1, according to the 

You will also be able to find them at the 

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Hawaii History

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News

Government & Politics

Crime & Courts

Sports

Business & Tourism

Real Estate

Food & Dining

Entertainment

Arts & Culture

Aloha Spirit

Hawaii History

Opinion

Daily Features

Crime & Courts

Messaging apps implicated in alleged assault of 11-year old