A Hawaii Army National Guard member’s body was found in a torched vehicle near a high school on Monday. (Facebook)
(Tribune News Service) — A woman found Monday in a burned car in a parking lot near the baseball field at Mililani High School was a 21-year-old member of the Hawaii Army National Guard.
Laau Jordan Lalusa, 21, was a specialist with the Guard, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Samuel Michael David Jones, 25, of Ewa Beach was arrested Monday on suspicion of second-degree murder in connection with her death.
Jones has nine prior arrests and citations for traffic offenses, trespassing and domestic abuse, according to state court records.
At about 6:40 a.m. witnesses called 911 to report a car fire, according to police. One unit with four personnel responded, and upon arriving on-scene at 6:55 a.m., firefighters found the blaze to have been self-extinguished and discovered the body inside.
Officers responding to the call were told witnesses saw a man “opening and closing doors during the fire” before running away, according to police. The witnesses reportedly followed Jones until officers arrived.
Police were told he was carrying a “bladed-type weapon.” Officers detained Jones and arrested him on suspicion of second-degree murder.
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