MEDIA RELEASE
Ezekiel Wakinekona
A Waimea man has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of a young relative who had been left in his care.
On Friday night (January 13) Fire/Rescue personnel responded to a report of a 3-year-old girl who was found at home unconscious with labored breathing. They took her to North Hawaiʻi Community Hospital, where doctors also discovered suspicious bruising on her body and notified police.
Police arrested Ezekiel Wakinekona of Kamuela on suspicion of abuse of a family/household member. A 2-year-old girl and a 6-year-old girl who also lived in his home were taken into protective custody. Wakinekona was taken to the Kona police cellblock while detectives from the Juvenile Aid Section continued the investigation.
Later Friday night, the injured child was flown to Kapiʻolani Hospital for Women and Children on Oahu. She was pronounced dead Sunday at 5:14 p.m. The girl has been identified as Marley Makanani of Kamuela.
At 8:20 p.m. Sunday, police charged Wakinekona with manslaughter for the death of the child and with two counts of abuse of a family/household member for injuries found on the children taken into protective custody. His bail was set at $60,000. He was held in the cellblock pending his initial court hearing on Tuesday (January 17).
From the Hawaii State Department of Human Services
Any death of a child is a tragedy. The Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Service, and the police, are investigating the death of 3-year-old Marley Makanani, who died Sunday while in the care of her uncle. Marley’s two siblings are in foster care. We are unable to comment further at this time due to this being an ongoing criminal investigation.
UPDATED, 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18
According to the Department of Human Services:
Marley’s siblings remain in foster care and Child Welfare Services is working with the family to identify other relatives and kin as placement options. While the children are in foster care, visits are being arranged for the children to visit with their family.
Gone, is beautiful innocent Marley…senseless and sad on the greatest of levels. Our prayers are with you Betsy and Ohana.
Who in their RIGHT MIND would lay their finger on a woman or child? Who in their RIGHT MIND would even say something hurtful or malicious to a loved one? This looks like drug and substance abuse to me! Get your shit together Hawaii and start taking care of each other. If this upsets you, I only speak the truth. It’s all about anger management; get it under control before you hurt yourself or others around you!!!
I am from this community and agree with you. Your comment does not upset ME because I think that more people need to start speaking the truth. We have been taught to be accepting of so many visitors and to accept the status quo no matter the situation. We are in trouble. Of course, this problem is all over the place, but our island is in a state of crisis. We are already known on O’ahu for having to fly our children to their trauma center as a result of abuse. I feel like this is going to be like peeling away at an onion and I don’t know where to start. We have “known” drug users and nobody’s ratting them out. We need help. I think its best that we help ourselves. And simply put, if you can’t handle children, get on birth control. I say this with aloha but behind that is a heart full of anger and sadness. Mahalo for your comment.
This is a heart-breaking tragedy which personally touches an entire community. No community, island, state or country is immune to this type of tragedy. It’s sooooooo easy to say that Hawaii needs to get their shit together and take care of each other; you don’t know ANYTHING, you self-righteous ignoramus! What? You think that it’s OKAY with people in Hawaii to tolerate this kind of horrible situation? You think no action was taken prior to this? We ALL have a responsibility to each other; what are YOU willing to do to stop child abuse? domestic violence? elder abuse? hate crimes? Remember, when you point the finger at someone, three fingers are pointed back at YOU!!!! It’s so easy to play the blame game!