The homeless man accused of fatally beating another homeless man in Aala Park earlier this month was on probation for a similar attack in the park 2 1⁄2 years ago and was wanted for violating the terms of his release.
An Oahu grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday charging Ronald Page with murder. Page, 58, remains in custody, unable to post $250,000 bail.
Witnesses told police that Oct. 1 they saw Page repeatedly punch 49-year-old Lynn Riley in the face, smash his head into the pavement several times and kick him when Riley was on the ground. Riley was taken to the Queen’s Medical Center, where he died of a head injury nine days later.
On March 11, 2011, another man told police he was sitting at a bus stop reading his newspaper near Beretania and King streets downtown when Page, an acquaintance, approached him, accused him of "bad mouthing" his girlfriend, then beat him with a metal walking cane.
Witnesses told police they saw Page continue the beating even after the victim was on the ground bleeding and defenseless. They said Page stopped only after one of them was able to take the cane away from him and another one told Page to back off.
They told police Page then walked away.
Page pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in May 2011.
A state judge sentenced him in July 2011 to five years of probation, plus the 140 days he had already spent in custody.
Since then, Page has been arrested and jailed seven times for violating the terms of his probation by drinking alcohol and failing to report to his probation officer. His longest jail term was 95 days after he admitted consuming alcohol on Oct. 26, 2011.
His most recent arrest in connection with the assault case was on Oct. 3 for failing to report to his probation officer on Sept. 25 and failing to report for a drug test on Oct. 1, the day he allegedly beat Riley.
On Sept. 18, he was arrested and jailed after he admitted drinking alcohol.
On Aug. 28, Circuit Judge Steven Alm denied the state’s request to revoke Page’s probation for failing to show up for a court hearing after his release from Tripler Army Medical Center after hip surgery.
Page’s probation officer again recommended revoking Page’s probation after his September and October violations.
The next court hearing on Page’s 2011 assault case is scheduled for next year.
