Police Charge Kea‘au Man in Infant Death Case

Hawai‘i Island police have arrested and charged 20-year-old Joshua Kaleolani Agbayani Soto Paiva of Kea‘au in the death of his three-month-old son John-Charles Saiki-Paiva.

On Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, at 11:50 a.m., Puna patrol officers were responded to a residence off of 3^rd Avenue in the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision for a report of an unresponsive male infant at the residence. HFD paramedics also responded and transported the infant to the Hilo Benioff Medical Center emergency room for emergency medical care. The infant did not survive and was pronounced deceased at 1:06 p.m. An autopsy was ordered to determine the exact cause of death.

Detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigation Section responded to the scene and emergency room and continued the investigation.

On Friday, Oct. 30, an autopsy was performed at the Hilo Benioff Medical Center with preliminary results indicating that the infant died from head injuries and foul play was suspected.

On Wednesday, Nov.11, detectives arrested Paiva at the Hilo Police Station without incident. Later that day, after conferring with Hawai‘i County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Paiva was charged with manslaughter and his bail was set at $1,000,000.

Paiva made his initial court appearance on Thursday, Nov. 12.

The investigation is ongoing and police ask anyone with information to contact Detective Jayce Carvalho at (808) 961-2378, or via email at Jayce.Carvalho@hawaiipolice.gov, or Detective Amy Omaya at (808) 961-2385, or via email at Amy.Omaya@hawaiipolice.gov.