KHON News

Suspects in Aliamanu home invasion robbery caught

By Marisa Yamane


The five suspects wanted in connection with the brazen home invasion robbery in Aliamanu two weeks ago are all in custody tonight.

One of the victims was shot, and he remains in critical condition.

Three of the suspects were arrested this afternoon in Salt Lake.

Police picked up the other two on Saturday.

All of the suspects are teenagers.

Honolulu Police Crime Reduction Unit officers descended on this Salt Lake house shortly after 2pm.

"The cops came through the back pointing guns saying get on the floor," said Ozzy Khamsouk, cousin of the suspects.

Police arrested 19-year old Kevin Khamsouk, and his two younger brothers on suspicion of robbery.

Two other suspects -- an 18-year old and a juvenile -- were arrested at this park near the Makiki Forest Recreation Area, shortly after midnight on Saturday.

The five are accused of pulling off a home invasion robbery in Aliamanu on Hulakui Drive on August 11th.

During the robbery, 19-year old Timothy "TJ" Lapitan was shot in the abdomen.

His sister, Theresa Gomes, was with her brother when it happened.

"When I got to my mom's living room there's three other guys there in masks and with guns and took my kids to the other room, had them on the ground because the guys kept on saying get on the ground. And I told my mom I was screaming to my mom just get down on the ground, and then my mom wouldn't get on the ground because she was holding onto my brother. My brother pushed them out the door because they had the guns on my mom, maybe that's what triggered him to push them out the door, and that's when he got shot," said Theresa Gomes, Lapitan's sister.

Gomes says her brother remains on life support.

Police won't say what the motive was behind the robbery, but they say it was not gang related.

"What will bring closure is for my brother to get well. Not so much the arrests, I mean we want them to be arrested of course, but that's not our focus, yeah that would be nice so they don't do it again, but it's for my brother to be completely healed, recovered and out of the hospital and back with us again," said Gomes.

Of the five suspects, three are juveniles.

Police aren't saying which one of the suspects was the shooter.

All are facing multiple counts of robbery, kidnapping, and burglary.

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