Teen charged with Makaha's murder to be transferred to OCCC on 18th birthday

The 17-year-old Maili boy, charged as an adult with murder in the Feb. 17 shooting of rancher Cranston Pia in Makaha, will be transferred to the Oahu Community Correctional Center until Monday, his 18th birthday.

District Judge Ronald Johnson signed the order on Wednesday for Chantston Pila Kekawa to be removed from Hale Hoomalu Juvenile Detention Center and taken to OCCC before 11:59 p.m. on Sunday. The order also confirms that he is being held without bail pursuant to a grand jury warrant.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Melody Kaohu made the oral request for transfer and confirmation that bail was not possible at his arraignment on Monday.

The 17-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charges. His jury trial is scheduled for December 2nd.

Pila Kekawa was charged Sept. 20 with second-degree murder, first-degree terroristic threats, two counts of aggravated weapons offenses and first-degree theft. He is said to have fired a single shot at the 39-year-old rancher's head.

Pila Kekawa was initially arrested on February 18 and held at the juvenile detention center. But a family judge waived jurisdiction and Pila Kekawa was transferred to the criminal division of the district court.

According to court documents, the rancher's mother, who owns the Ohikilolo Ranch where her son lived, told police that he fired a single warning shot at what he thought were wild dogs trying to hurt his steer.

The court documents state that a man, later identified as Pila Kekawa, then emerged from a bush and asked why Pia had shot his dogs, after which a verbal argument began.

Pia's mother said she tried to intervene, but Pila Kekawa reportedly pushed and threatened to shoot the mother with the black pistol he was holding.

Pia's mother told police she heard a gunshot and saw her son fall to the ground.

She called 911 and administered CPR to her son.

Honolulu District Attorney Steve Alm had Pila Kekawa, also known as Chantston Pala Kekawa and Chantston Pila, charged as an adult for what he described as an “execution murder.”