The Ewa Beach man accused of manslaughter, arson and several burglaries, including one that resulted in the death of a 97-year-old Pearl City woman in a fire last month, pleaded not guilty Monday morning in Circuit Court.
Michael P. Dahilig, 35, remains in custody in Oahu Community Corrections Center, unable to post $1 million bail.
An Oahu grand jury indicted Dahilig Wednesday on charges of manslaughter, arson, burglary, attempted burglary and possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.
He was arraigned via a closed-circuit television from OCCC.
Circuit Judge Richard Perkins set his trial for the week of June 18 before Circuit Judge Randal Lee.
City Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro said last week that Dahilig used a lighter torch in an attempt to break into a storage shed of a house at 1888 Hoomalolo St. on March 30. Dahilig allegedly tried to break into the same shed a day earlier.
The shed caught fire, an alarm sounded and Dahilig fled, Kaneshiro said. The fire spread to the house.
Betty Hagihara died in the fire. Two other people in the home escaped with the help of a neighbor. Kaneshiro said Hagihara died from smoke inhalation.
Police said a neighbor saw Dahilig searching the remnants of the building the day after the fire. He is also charged with the burglaries of another home on the same street in September and March.
The Pearl City home that burned down had been burglarized at least seven times. Five days before the fire, three locks had been placed on a the shed after someone tried to burn through a lock. The shed held gardening tools and expensive radio-controlled model airplanes.
Dahilig has eight convictions in Hawaii, including three for burglary, one for robbery and two for drug offenses, according to court records. In April 2003 he was sentenced to 10 years in prison in a 2000 burglary case and a 1996 robbery case.
He was paroled in August 2007. He completed his sentences in October 2010.
