Suspect charged following fatal stabbing in Kaimuki area

The 43-year-old suspect who was arrested following a Wednesday stabbing in the Kaimuki area has been charged with second-degree murder.

The Honolulu Police Department today reported the charge for Welden Manuel, who allegedly stabbed and killed another man just before noon Wednesday during an argument under a bridge along Kapiolani Boulevard. Manuel’s bail has been set at $1 million.

Court records reveal Manuel’s lengthy rap sheet and show that he has experienced homelessness for years. Many of his citations stem from being in closed parks or having alcohol in public areas on Oahu.

Manuel has been convicted twice for third-degree assault, both of which stem from 2011 incidents.

He was also a defendant in two stabbings — one in 2017 and another last August — that both resulted in second-degree assault charges. In both cases the complaining witness who had been stabbed could not be brought to court to testify.

In the 2017 case, a reportedly drunk Manuel stabbed a male in the chest at Pier 38 with a switchblade. A jury found him guilty of second-degree assault, but after Manuel appealed the ruling, the Hawaii Supreme Court ordered a new trial in Circuit Court.

The case was dismissed after the stabbing victim could not be located during the week of the trial.

In the other case, Manuel allegedly stabbed a homeless man with a pair of scissors. In April he was acquitted after the victim again could not be located to testify in court.