Police confirm second set of human remains found on Hibiscus Drive
UPDATE: 5 P.M.
Honolulu police have confirmed that a second set of human remains was located at the site of 3015 Hibiscus Drive this afternoon.
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Honolulu police have confirmed human remains were found this morning at the site of 3015 Hibiscus Drive two days after the fatal shooting of two police officers and a massive neighborhood conflagration.
A Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman said the remains were taken by the Honolulu Medical Examiner’s office for identification. “There is no gender determination or further information available at this time,” she said.
At least one set of remains was found, Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard told reporters earlier today.
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“We have located some remains in the rubble,” Ballard said. “We’re going to continue searching, but obviously we really don’t know until identifications are made because it is only bones.”
“From my understanding the rubble is close to a foot deep, so to sift through all of that monumental task for the officers as well as for the firefighters,” Ballard said.
After her remarks before noon, Ballard and other HPD officers, including Deputy Chief John McCarthy, went to the scene at Hibiscus Drive.
Just after 1:20 p.m., authorities began bringing the remains out of the Hibiscus Drive home. The remains were in one blue body bag and were taken away in a Medical Examiner’s car.
Two Emergency Medical Services vehicles, including an ambulance, are posted near the Emergency Management Command Center in nearby Kapiolani Park, which continues to smell of smoke. A cadaver dog was at the scene today.
Search crews have been looking for the remains of homeowner Lois Cain and suspected shooter Jerry “Jarda” Hanel, a tenant of the home who was about to get evicted.
The landlord-tenant dispute exploded at about 9 a.m. Sunday when Hanel allegedly attacked Cain, another tenant and then fatally shot police officers Tiffany Enriquez and Kaulike Kalama, who were responding to a woman’s 911 call for help.
Cain, 77, and Hanel, 69, are believed to have been inside 3015 Hibiscus Drive when the home erupted in flames after the shooting.
Firefighters were prevented from getting to the site because of gunfire or exploding ammunition coming from the burning house. The fire then spread and burned down or damaged about 12 homes in the neighborhood.
Gov. David Ige began his annual State of the State speech this morning with a moment of silence for Enriquez and Kalama.
Honolulu Star-Advertiser reporters Cassie Ordonio and Allison Schaefers contributed to this report.