Police have arrested a 41-year-old man in connection with the murder of a Honolulu real estate broker and aspiring actress.
He was identified as Vernon Baker, who has no local address. No charges had been filed as of Saturday evening.
The body of Mary Beth San Juan, 56, was found Tuesday night by her ex-husband bound, gagged and wrapped in a rug, lying in the driveway of San Juan’s 1224 Punahou St. residence.
Baker, described by police as an acquaintance of San Juan’s, was arrested at Ala Moana Center shortly after 2:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Maj. Richard Robinson on the Honolulu Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division.
The nature of the relationship between San Juan and Baker is unclear. They were "friends" on Facebook.
In his LinkedIn profile, Baker lists himself as creative director of Bio-SpiriTech, specializing in body, spirit and mind products and practices in Hawaii.
At a news conference Saturday afternoon, Robinson said tips from the public helped police in identifying the suspect and in recovering San Juan’s wallet from a metal trash bin on Lemon Road in Waikiki. Robinson said Baker is believed to have resided in Waikiki.
After his arrest, Baker was taken to a hospital for treatment of "minor unrelated injuries," according to HPD spokeswoman Michelle Yu.
The medical examiner’s office said San Juan was stabbed multiple times.
Robinson said the suspect matched the general description of a person caught on surveillance video using San Juan’s ATM card at the First Hawaiian Bank at Manoa Marketplace.
The card was used at 12:30 a.m. Monday.
Police released the video in seeking the public’s help.
San Juan’s silver 2013 Mercedes C250 was found Tuesday night near the Kapiolani Park Bandstand.
The case was classified as a second-degree murder.
San Juan was the principal broker and founder of Happy Homes Hawaii LLC, and she had a role in an episode of CBS’ revived "Hawaii Five-0."
