Waianae Gunman Gets 11+ Years for Robbery & Carjacking

WAIANAE, HI – Joshua Leiataua, a local resident, will spend the next 137 months behind bars after being sentenced for a brazen robbery and a failed carjacking attempt. U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor delivered the sentence, citing Leiataua’s disregard for the law and a pattern of violent behavior. The feds say Leiataua’s actions left victims shaken and the Waianae community on edge.

The first incident unfolded on April 5, 2020, at a Waipahu mini-mart. Leiataua stormed into the store, brandishing a firearm and demanding cash from the terrified cashier. When the register wouldn’t open, he escalated the situation, snatching cartons of cigarettes and other merchandise at gunpoint. It was a quick, violent grab, leaving the cashier fearing for their life.

Less than a month later, on May 13, 2020, Leiataua and accomplice Shanice Faalogo targeted a couple in Waianae. They attempted to steal the couple’s vehicle. Leiataua approached the male victim, again brandishing a firearm and demanding the car keys. Faalogo, not content with intimidation, fired the weapon into the air. Leiataua then forcibly removed the female victim from the vehicle, yanking her by the hair in the process.

Their getaway was short-lived. A dead car battery foiled their escape, forcing them to flee on foot. Honolulu Police Department officers, along with federal agents from the FBI and ATF, quickly apprehended the pair. Faalogo has already pleaded guilty and is awaiting her own sentencing. Federal prosecutors built a strong case, linking Leiataua to both crimes and demonstrating a clear pattern of escalating violence.

Judge Gillmor didn’t hold back, adding an additional 120 months to the sentence for Leiataua’s possession of ammunition as a convicted felon. “This defendant’s conduct demonstrates a clear lack of respect for the law and a willingness to use violence to get what he wants,” Gillmor stated during the sentencing. The sentence sends a clear message: armed robbery and carjacking will not be tolerated in Hawaii.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal initiative focused on reducing violent crime by targeting the most dangerous offenders. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara D. Ayabe prosecuted the case, highlighting the collaborative effort between local and federal law enforcement. The feds will continue to focus on dismantling violent criminal networks and bringing perpetrators like Leiataua to justice, even in seemingly quiet communities like Waianae.