HONOLULU, HI – In a shocking incident on December 22, Instagram model Theresa “Tita” Cachuela, 33, was fatally shot by her husband, Jason Cachuela, 44, in the parking lot of the Pearlridge Center mall in Honolulu, in front of one of their children. The husband was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Honolulu Police Lieutenant Deena Thoemmes confirmed that dispatchers received a call about a “suspicious circumstance” around 10:15 a.m. at the mall. Upon arrival, they discovered Theresa Cachuela with gunshot wounds. Jason Cachuela was found deceased behind a home approximately five miles from the mall.
Witness Danny Earles recounted hearing a series of gunshots in the parking lot, which was beginning to fill with Christmas shoppers at the time of the shooting.
Court records revealed a troubling history leading up to the incident. Two days before the shooting, a judge had granted Theresa Cachuela’s request for a temporary restraining order against her husband. She had cited continual harassment and threats of suicide by her husband in front of her and their three children. The restraining order also mentioned an incident involving a knife and an instance where Jason Cachuela was found hiding under her car.
In her filing, Theresa Cachuela expressed her intention to protect herself, her children, and to seek help for her husband. The couple had agreed to a one-year restraining order, limiting their contact to child exchanges during visitations. Additionally, the court had ordered Jason Cachuela to surrender any firearms he possessed.