LIHUE — A man convicted of breaking his mother’s bones and beating and kicking his girlfriend in the head was back in court Thursday for a proof of compliance and hope violation hearing. Prosecutors said 24-year-old Kaeden Palmeira, who was
LIHUE — A man convicted of breaking his mother’s bones and beating and kicking his girlfriend in the head was back in court Thursday for a proof of compliance and hope violation hearing.
Prosecutors said 24-year-old Kaeden Palmeira, who was released from jail after serving six months, was not keeping up with scheduled restitution payments. He owes $92,000, which includes medical fees from injuries sustained by his mother.
His public defender, Stephanie Char, said he caught up with his monthly restitution payments and is back on track. Prosecutors confirmed that Thursday by email. Char requested his restitution payments be lowered to $50 a month, instead of the $100 a month. Fifth Circuit Court Judge Randal Valenciano denied the request.
Palmeira was charged with two counts of abuse of a family or household member. He was found guilty of the two abuse charges on Aug. 18, 2015. Two counts of interference with reporting an emergency or crime were dismissed by the state.
Palmeira was arrested on July 4 for driving a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant, which he did not report to his probation officer. Alcohol prohibition is a condition of his probation, prosecutors said.
According to the terms and conditions of his probation, Palmeira must complete a domestic violence intervention program with the YWCA of Kauai. But prosecutors said Palmeira has yet to start class.
Char said Palmeira applied for classes and is set to begin on Aug. 12 at the YWCA of Kauai.
The HOPE probation staff requested that he serve 30 days in jail for failure to adhere to those terms.
Char requested for the three violations, which she said two were now moot, he serve 30 community service hours. Valenciano sentenced Palmeira to 30 hours of community service to be completed by Aug. 31 for his first offense.
According to prosecutors, Palmeira took his 3-year-old daughter to a beach party at Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor on July 13, 2014.
When Palmeira’s mom and girlfriend went to the harbor to get the little girl, Palmeira attacked the women and punched his mother in the face multiple times, prosecutors said.
Palmeira then went after his girlfriend, who was inside a vehicle holding their 3-year-old child. She tried to escape the car, but he went around it and slapped, punched and kicked her head into the car, prosecutors said.
His mother was medevaced to The Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu and had broken bones throughout her face, including a shattered eye socket. His girlfriend sustained swelling to her head.
On Nov. 10, he was sentenced to six months in jail with credit for time served, five years of probation, and ordered to pay $92,000 in restitution, which includes medical fees from injuries sustained by his mother.
By December 2015, Palmeira had already served the six months.
Abuse of family or household member is a class C felony and punishable by up to five years in prison.
Palmeira’s case is one of the first convictions under a new law that made it a felony to commit family abuse in front of a minor under the age of 14, Prosecuting Attorney Justin Kollar told The Garden Island in November.
Palmeira is scheduled for another proof of compliance hearing in February.
