A tragedy in Lucita Ani-Nihoa’s life took place against the backdrop of Pearlridge Centre, a busy retail centre. Lucita was seeing Theresa Cachuela, her daughter, on a typical day, blissfully oblivious to the fact that her world was about to fall apart. The devastating news hit like a tonne of bricks: Theresa’s estranged husband, Jason Cachuela, had shot and killed her outside the mall. The terrible turn of events: Theresa’s 8-year-old daughter saw the terrifying deed.
As the news unfolded, the true extent of the tragedy became evident. Jason Cachuela, a 44-year-old man with a troubled past, fled the crime scene and was later found dead by suicide in Waipahu. The victim, Theresa Cachuela, was not just a mother of three; she was also a social media influencer and a beauty entrepreneur. Her life was abruptly cut short, leaving behind a grieving family and a community in shock.
Perhaps the most harrowing aspect of this heart-wrenching incident was the fact that Theresa’s 8-year-old daughter was present during the fatal confrontation. Lucita Ani-Nihoa, Theresa’s mother, revealed the trauma that the young girl is enduring. “Her youngest daughter is the one that tragically saw everything,” Ani-Nihoa shared. “She’s traumatized. She has so much faith, this little girl. She just started praying.” The innocence of childhood shattered by an unthinkable act of violence.
Lucita Ani-Nihoa and her husband, Roy, are grappling with the profound sorrow that accompanies the loss of a loved one, especially under such horrific circumstances. “Lives have changed forever,” Roy Nihoa remarked, capturing the magnitude of the tragedy that has befallen their family.
The Cachuela couple, married for 11 years, had been facing significant marital problems. Lucita Ani-Nihoa revealed that her daughter had confided in relatives about enduring abuse from her husband. Taking a brave step, Theresa sought help from agencies supporting victims of domestic violence and even filed a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Jason Cachuela. The TRO was a result of his continued harassment and stalking, indicating a pattern of alarming behavior.
Despite the legal intervention, Jason Cachuela did not have a criminal record. However, in the days leading up to the tragic incident, he had been issuing repeated threats of suicide. Theresa expressed her fears for her safety, and the court, as required in domestic restraining orders, mandated Jason to surrender his firearms. The police SWAT team collected some weapons, but tragically, it was not enough to prevent the unfolding horror.
Lucita Ani-Nihoa has raised poignant questions about the efficacy of the legal and law enforcement system in preventing the tragedy that befell her daughter. She contends that Theresa had been desperately trying to communicate the imminent danger she faced. “She’s been trying to tell the cops about all the issues that were going on about the gun that he pulled on her a couple of times already,” Ani-Nihoa expressed. “He threatened to kill her.” Despite these warnings, the system failed to take decisive action, and Theresa paid the ultimate price.
The heart-wrenching story of Lucita Ani-Nihoa and Theresa Cachuela highlights the devastating consequences of domestic violence and the failures within the legal and law enforcement systems to protect those in danger. Theresa’s life was tragically cut short, leaving behind grieving family members, a traumatized child, and a community grappling with the harsh reality of unchecked abuse.
As we reflect on this somber tale, it is imperative to consider the urgency of reforming systems to better respond to domestic violence warnings. Lucita Ani-Nihoa’s cries for help on behalf of her daughter should serve as a rallying call for increased awareness, improved support structures, and a commitment to preventing such horrific incidents in the future.
