An Instagram influencer was shot dead by her husband in Hawaii, police have confirmed.
Theresa Cachuela, 33, was shot in a parking garage near Pearlridge Center in Honolulu at 10:15 a.m. on Friday by her husband, 44-year-old Jason Cachuela, police said in a press conference. According to family members cited by media, the incident happened in front of her 11-year-old daughter.
Honolulu Police Lieutenant Deena Thoemmes said Theresa Cachuela suffered a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. At the press conference Thoemmes added the case is classified as murder in the first degree and that an investigation is ongoing.
“This was not a random act as the victim and the suspect were involved in a relationship,” Thoemmes said.
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
Jason Cachuela was later found dead behind a residence in Waipahu in what multiple reports have claimed appeared to be a suicide. Court records show that days before her death Theresa Cachuela had secured a temporary restraining order against Jason Cachuela over domestic abuse allegations, including threatening to kill himself in front of her and hiding under her car. Jason Cachuela denied these claimsNBC News reported the court documents showed the couple had been together for 11 years and that the order said he had to give up any firearms. Newsweek was unable to verify these claims.
Newsweek has contacted the Honolulu Police Department by email to comment on this story.
Cachuela was known as Bunny Bontito on Instagram, where she had over 21,000 followers. She posted about her Christian faith as well as photos of her life.
Family members told local broadcaster KHON-2 that the system failed to protect her.
“The police are supposed to protect. They failed her; the law failed her miserably,” said her father, Stephen Johnston.
“I say this to the fathers out there: handle your sons, get a hold of them, teach them to treat our women with the dignity and respect they require.”
Theresa Cachuela’s aunt Kathleen Johnston added: “Laws have got to be changed because this is a heinous act and it could have been prevented.”
In a GoFundMe page set up to cover funeral expenses, mother Lucita Ani-Nihoa said Theresa Cachuela had been on her way to have breakfast together and exchange Christmas presents.
“My daughter did not deserve this. She was trying so hard to get help, but the justice system failed her,” she wrote.
At the time of writing, the GoFundMe page had accrued $40,872 in donations.
Following her death, people have posted tributes in the comments of her Instagram posts.
One tribute said: “Rest in love beautiful.”
Another said: “I love you my sweet angel.”
A third said: “Rip beautiful I can’t believe it.”
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.