A man arrested in May 2022 at a Visitacion Valley home for an attack on the mother and sister of a woman he was dating has been convicted of assault and several other charges.
37-year-old Andrew Kuhaiki was in a dispute with the family of a woman he was in a relationship with — and/or the woman was in a dispute with her own family members — because the family wanted Kuhaiki to move out. As the District Attorney's office explains in a release, Kuhaiki had been living in the home for some period of time with his girlfriend, and the home belonged to the girlfriend's mother.
The women said that Kuhaiki brandished a machete on the night of May 5, 2022, attacked them, and threatened to kill them if they tried to leave the house or call for help.
The 74-year-old mother was able to text a friend and tell them to call 9-1-1, and police soon arrived and arrested Kuhaiki.
After his arrest, the girlfriend told police that Kuhaiki had threatened her, and choked and beaten her multiple times, but she had only reported his abuse to police on one occasion.
On Thursday, a jury found Kuhaiki guilty of assault with a deadly weapon, making criminal threats , two counts of witness intimidation, and two counts of false imprisonment. He now faces a potential eight years in prison.
"The jury’s verdict brings a portion of this terrifying attack to a close for the two victims, who bravely recounted the Defendant’s threats, assault, and imprisonment from May of last year," says Assistant District Attorney Phoebe Maffei, who successfully prosecuted the case. "Violence against women, especially in the sanctity of their own homes, will be aggressively prosecuted by our office. We are extremely grateful to these women for standing up and speaking out to hold Mr. Kuhaiki accountable in this case."
"I will continue to stand with survivors and do everything I can to ensure that we not only fight for justice in the courtroom for survivors but work to raise awareness and work with partners to end domestic violence in our community," says District Attorney Brooke Jenkins in a statement.
“Abusers, like Mr. Kuhaiki, must be held accountable and face consequences for their acts," Jenkins added.
Kuhaiki's sentencing is scheduled for July 11.
If you or a loved one is in need of support, please seek help. In an emergency call 9-1-1.
Below are some resources for people experiencing domestic violence.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline (text) START to 88788 or call 800.799.7233
• WOMAN, Inc 24/7 Support Line, 877.384.3578
• Asian Women’s Shelter 24/7 crisis line, 877.751.0880
• La Casa De Las Madres Crisis text, 415.200.3575
