The Latest: Lawyer helped mother with immigration issues

HONOLULU – The Latest on the Hawaii killings of a mother and two children (all times local):

12:25 p.m.

A Hawaii attorney says a woman from El Salvador whom police say was killed by her husband had immigration troubles and went to a church where there were other Spanish-speaking parishioners.

Rose Bautista says Aracely Hoffman immigrated to Hawaii’s Big Island from El Salvador for a better life. She says Hoffman met her husband, John Ali Hoffman, on the Big Island. Police say they were married in 2008.

John Hoffman is charged with shooting and killing his wife and children early Friday. Police identified the children as 7-year-old Clara Hoffman and 5-year-old John Hoffman.

Bautista says she helped the couple with immigration problems, which were stressful for the Hoffmans. But Aracely Hoffman didn’t discuss problems in the marriage. Bautista says Aracely Hoffman was a devoted mother and devout Catholic. She says her husband never joined her at church.

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10:40 a.m.

Police say an uncle has identified two children killed on Hawaii’s Big Island, allegedly by their father.

The father, John Ali Hoffman, is also charged with murder in the death of his wife and the children’s mother, Aracely Hoffman.

Police on Tuesday say the children who were killed are 7-year-old Clara Hoffman and 5-year-old John Hoffman. Their father, who remains held on $2.75 million bail, is charged with shooting his children and his wife in their heads early Friday.

Capt. Robert Wagner says police tried to avoid giving a relative the grim task of identifying the children. Wagner says dental records were limited, so police asked Aracely Hoffman’s brother to identify them.

Defence attorney Brian De Lima says a judge ordered that doctors evaluate Hoffman’s mental health.

Court documents say Hoffman called police saying intruders were in their home and shot his wife.