Suspect in Wendy’s fatal shooting pleads not guilty

The 60-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing Kashka Otto, 22, an employee at Nanakuli Wendy’s, and seriously injuring the 44-year-old restaurant manager, pleaded not guilty Monday to charges he is convicted, , could result in a sentence of life in prison without parole.

Deputy Public Defender Sat Freedman asked Judge Ronald Johnson to set a reasonable bond for Reynaldo Cheney, who was sentenced by Johnson after being held without bail on charges of attempted first-degree murder – punishable by a sentence of up to life in prison without the possibility of parole, second degree murder and attempted second degree murder.

Freedman argued that Cheney, who has lived in Hawaii for about seven years, is homeless, disabled, cannot work and that his only crimes were recent minor misdemeanors associated with homelessness and a conviction for aggravated assault 30 years from 1994 in Michigan. .

The deputy public defender said Cheney got into a disagreement with the Wendy’s employee, who pointed out, “called my client” and walked out of the fast-food restaurant. After fighting with Otto, Otto had to be separated from Cheney by several people.

“This is not a case where my client attacked someone defenseless,” Freedman said.

After the incident, Cheney “waited at the scene, called 911, put the gun down and waited,” Freedman said.

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But assistant prosecutor Molly O’Neill asked the court to confirm that he had not been released on bail due to the seriousness of the offense and that he was a flight risk due to the possible sentence of life imprisonment without parole for attempted first degree murder as well as conviction for several offenders. Status.

She said Cheney called the victim derogatory names. The victim got into a mutual fight with Cheney. Cheney refused to leave the restaurant when asked, and pulled out a dagger and hid it behind his back, O’Neill said.

When Cheney entered the fight outside the store, he pulled out the dagger, stabbed Otto and stabbed Andrew McCullough, the manager who tried to break up the fight, in the back. She said the principal would have died if Cheney had stabbed him more, according to a doctor.

The judge denied bail due to Cheney’s multiple serious offenses; his lack of serious ties to Hawaii, although he lived for several years as a transient in the state; and his lack of financial means.

Johnson said he not only inflicted serious injuries on Otto, but also stabbed the manager and allegedly brought a weapon to the fight.

“The court finds that he poses a significant danger to the community,” Johnson said, adding that one person was dead and the other could have been.

“The defendant used deadly force in what otherwise would have been a fight,” Johnson said.

Johnson set the trial for Dec. 23 before Judge Fa’auuga To’oto’o.

Freedman objected to the media presence, saying it hurt his client’s ability to get a fair trial.

The court rejected his request, saying it was a public proceeding.