A 26-year-old Kapahulu man confessed to police that he stabbed to death his next-door neighbor and friend in an Ala Moana Center stairwell earlier this month, according to court documents.

Jacob Le is being held on $250,000 bail after he was charged Friday with the second-degree murder of Brent Keolaokalani "Ola" Kanae  at Ala Moana Center Oct. 3.

He pleaded not guilty in Honolulu District Court this morning and will appear for a preliminary hearing  Wednesday.

Le was identified by a witness as being near the stairwell where Kanae’s body was found with stab wounds.

The stabbing occurred in a stairway where Kanae, also 26, was found coughing up blood. A witness identified Le as being at the Oct. 3 crime scene moments after the incident. 

Le and Kanae belonged to the same hip-hop and break-dancing group.

On Oct. 6, in his first interview with police,  Le acknowledged being at the shopping center but denied his involvement in the crime.

Twelve days later Le confessed to standing above Kanae reaching around him and stabbing him three times in the chest, from behind, according to a police affidavit.

Kanae was a line cook at Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Co. at Ala Moana. Kanae’s mother said the family had just returned from Disneyland and that he had shown up at Ala Moana early on his first day back to work so he could have lunch with friends and give out souvenirs.

Le is shown in a YouTube video break-dancing at Kanae’s funeral as a tribute to him. Kanae was a 2006 Kalani High School graduate who played football and was in the orchestra.

Le is a 2004 McKinley High School graduate.

Hawaii News Now – KGMB and KHNL