The lone security guard on duty at a city dump the day a Wailupe man said he was there instead of shooting his wife’s lover told an Oahu Circuit Court jury Tuesday that he didn’t see him.
Rockie Javier, a security officer with a private firm that provides services to the city’s trash dropoff locations, was working at the Waimanalo Convenience Center on Jan. 12, 2022.
Eric Thompson, 35, is accused of shooting and killing his wife Joyce’s lover, Waipahu acupuncturist
Jon Tokuhara, 47, on Jan. 12, 2022. Tokuhara’s mother found his body Jan. 13, 2022, lying in a pool of blood at Tokuhara Acupuncture and Healthcare on Waipahu Depot Street.
Thompson was arrested Feb. 14, 2022, and indicted by an Oahu grand jury April 22, 2022, on charges of second-degree murder and carrying or use of a firearm in the commission of a separate felony.
He is free after posting
$1 million bail.
Thompson told the jury last week that he was hauling bags of bricks to the dump at the time Tokuhara was fatally shot four times in the face.
Javier testified Tuesday that he was on duty from
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 12, 2022.
“On that day, did you
allow anyone to dump bricks at the convenience center?” asked Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Benjamin Rose.
“Not that I can recall,” answered Javier, who said he knows 80% of the people who use the center.
“Is Eric Thompson one of those people?” Rose asked.
“I never did see that guy, like, come to the dump ever before,” said Javier, as Rose pointed out Thompson in the courtroom. “Yes, I see. I never did see him in there before.”
In a notice of rebuttal witness filed Friday, Rose said Javier will testify that the dumping of any noncombustible materials, including bricks, is prohibited at the convenience center.
“He will also testify that he checks in every car, asks what the driver wants to dump, and
confirms the materials before letting them through to the dump. Javier will testify that he did not allow dumping of bricks, as per policy, on his shift,” the notice says.
During cross-examination Thompson’s attorney, David Hayakawa, questioned Javier about the people he sees when he works. Hayakawa also asked whether he checks every single truck and load dropped at the dump.
“Hundreds of people can come into that dump a day, right?” asked
Hayakawa.
“Yes,” Javier answered.
“If somebody who goes to the dump twice a year, you are going to remember that person?” asked Hayakawa.
“Not really. But I can tell if I seen that person before,” Javier said.
“As you said, you don’t check every vehicle, correct?” asked Hayakawa.
“Yes,” Javier replied.
“Sometimes you just wave them through, correct?” asked Hayakawa.
“Yes,” Javier said.
Javier explained that it is policy at the convenience center to turn away bricks like the ones the prosecution showed in a photo. He told Hayakawa that his boss told them not to accept inert construction materials and reroute those
customers to Kapaa Quarry.
He said that if he did not follow procedures and policies with every load, he could lose his job.
Thompson testified last week that it was dark when he got home from the Waimanalo dump at 6:48 p.m. the day Tokuhara was killed. His wife had made dinner and his daughter had already eaten. Thompson testified that he took a quick shower and ate dinner before taking his daughter outside to play in the yard.
He said that at about 9:54 p.m., he went to
buy beer, eggs and milk
at a grocery store in
Hawaii Kai and paid
cash.
Also testifying for the prosecution Tuesday was Dawn Rasmussen, operations manager for the CVS/Longs in Aina Haina, the store closest to Thompson’s house. Rasmussen said the store had eggs and milk in stock that day.
Hayakawa responded that it is not out of the ordinary for local people to seek out a grocery store for food products, with Longs being a last resort.
Thompson’s murder trial will resume
Thursday.