KAILUA — Janel Tupuola, a mother of five, was turning her life around, leaving a bad relationship, joining a church and reconciling with her husband, relatives said yesterday.

But the boyfriend she left behind with her old life had other ideas, first stalking her, then breaking into her car and finally hunting her down.

Police said Alapeti S. Tunoa Jr., 30, of Salt Lake, bludgeoned Tupuola, 29, with a shotgun butt in front of several witnesses on a quiet Kailua street Wednesday evening.

"He was a violent man," said Kealii Toelupe, 13, Janel Tupuola's oldest child, who lived with Tunoa for about six months. "I hate him for what he done to my mom, what he done to this family."

Kealii said he had seen his mother being struck by Tunoa. She finally made the decision to leave and that may have set off the Wednesday attack, he said.

"She didn't want to come back to him because my mom just got back with her husband and I guess (Tunoa) didn't like it," Kealii said, adding that his mother had been thinking about taking out a restraining order against Tunoa. Court records do not show that she applied for the order.

Kealii said his mother was a loving and caring person who worked hard to keep her family together. She had started to go to church and was making changes in her life, he said.

"She just wanted to be a better person, be a better mom," he said.

Tupuola had worked as a dental assistant in Kailua since she finished high school. The dentist she worked for trained her, said Summer Badajos, Tupuola's sister-in-law. Tupuola was like a daughter to him, Badajos said.

"Everything she learned was from him," she said. "She would bring home her supplies and make dentures at the house. She was awesome."

Several months ago, Badajos said, she talked to Tupuola about changing her life. Soon Tupuola was going to church faithfully and learning more about the Bible. She was "saved" two weeks ago, Badajos said.

"Junior (Tunoa), I guess he started seeing that she was going on with her life," she said. "She was reconciling with her husband and the mentality I get out of him is if he (Tunoa) can't have her, then nobody will."

KAILUA GIRL

Tupuola was raised in Kailua and attended Kalaheo High School but graduated from Waipahu High School.

She didn't discuss her men with her sister-in-law and only recently started attending more family functions. This year for the first time all of her brothers and sisters had Thanksgiving dinner together, Badajos said.

"Janel lived a crazy life," she said. "She met the wrong men. But no matter what her life was, she didn't deserve this. Nobody deserves this."

Before the beating, Tunoa allegedly rammed his black Ford Explorer into Tupuola's vehicle, spinning it around before it came to a stop near Maluniu Avenue at Kawainui Street.

Tupuola ran out of the car and tried to get away, but Tunoa allegedly chased after her, punching her, then beating her with a shotgun, police said. Tupuola was taken to Castle Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 6 p.m.

VIOLENT PAST

Tunoa, who is 6 feet 2 and weighs 340 pounds, is being held on suspicion of second-degree murder, but has not been charged. He was at the Honolulu police headquarters cellblock last night.

Court records show Tunoa's criminal history includes convictions for violent crimes.

He was released from prison in March 1, 2001, after serving four years of a 20-year sentence on convictions of first- and second-degree robbery, according to the Hawai'i Paroling Authority.

The second-degree robbery conviction resulted from a June 6, 1995, incident in which Tunoa told a man on a city bus to give up his gold chain. The man refused, and Tunoa choked him, court records show.

While choking the man, Tunoa told him he would snap his neck if he did not comply, according to court records. The man got off the bus and called police. Officers found Tunoa on the bus in possession of the man's chain, records show.

In a separate case, Tunoa was convicted of first-degree robbery in July 1996, and he was sentenced on both offenses on Feb. 12, 1997. Details of the first-degree robbery were not available yesterday.

"We're definitely going to take a look to see why this guy was able to commit this (latest) offense given his reported record," city prosecutor Peter Carlisle said yesterday.

67 ARRESTS AS JUVENILE

Court records show Tunoa was on parole from the Hawai'i Youth Correctional Facility when he committed the 1995 city bus robbery.

At the trial for the city bus robbery, a family court officer testified in circuit court that Tunoa had 67 prior arrests as a juvenile.

Between his 15th and 16th birthdays, Tunoa was arrested and convicted of third-degree theft, harassment, first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, second-degree harassment, second-degree theft, second-degree robbery and car theft in connection with five crimes he committed as a juvenile, according to court records.

Court records indicate he admitted drug problems and was sent to the Bobby Benson drug rehabilitation program.

Tupuola is survived by her parents, Hank and Wilma Badajos; husband, Eucharis Tupuola; brothers Damon Pavao, Race Badajos and Cale Badajos; sister Gail Badajos; and five children, Kealii, 13; Malama, 9; Angel, 6; Trulyn, 2; Junior, 1.

The children are in the care of relatives.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com.