HONOLULU — A former college instructor was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Wednesday, July 29 2026, for the beating death of her 11-year-old adopted daughter in Laie.
Before Circuit Court Judge Rowena Somerville handed down the term, Sina Pili, 40, wept as she apologized to the deceased victim.
“Azaeliyah, I’m sorry baby for everything. Please forgive me for what I’ve done,” Pili said, her voice breaking. “I love Azaeliyah and I love my children. They are the best children.”
 |
| Sina Pili crying at her sentencing |
 |
| Sina Pili |
According to police reports, the child, who goes by he name, Azaeliyah Pili-Ah You, died on Dec. 22, 2023.
First responders found her unconscious and covered in bruises at the family’s home so they rushed her to Kahuku Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Because of the extent of her injuries, the Honolulu medical examiner’s office waited until June 5, 2024, to rule on the cause and manner of death, reviewing medical records and lab results.
That review uncovered a brutal sequence of events, as reported by Hawaii News. According to forensic pathologists:
- The bruising on the victim was so deep it had penetrated the skin and was visible down to the diaphragm during the autopsy.
- There were abrasions on the face, head, neck, chest, back, arms, hands, and legs.
- The girl’s nose had wounds consistent with being bitten.
- A linear abrasion on the outside of the neck came with internal neck injuries that suggested strangulation.
- Two ribs were fractured, and hemorrhaging was present under the scalp.
- Her left lung was extremely dark, indicating advanced pneumonia, and tests confirmed she had COVID-19 and influenza A.
Investigators also confirmed that days before she passed, Pili had forced Azaeliyah to run to a chapel and back, knowing the girl was ill with COVID-19, influenza A, and pneumonia. Then after the run, Pili reportedly slapped and punched the child for about 30 minutes.
“Child torture is insidious. It is gradual, calculated, and systematic, and intended to break its victims completely,” said Honolulu Police Department homicide Lt. Deena Thoemmes.
 |
| Azaeliyah Pili-Ah You |
Pili was arrested in 2025 on a grand jury bench warrant and indicted on charges of manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a minor, and persistent nonsupport.
She held a master’s degree in social work and had been an adjunct instructor at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, however, the university terminated her contract as soon as the arrest became public and removed her faculty page.
She was arraigned on March 13, 2025, but she later pleaded guilty to the charges brought against her.
Pili and her husband had adopted five children. The four surviving siblings — ages 12, 9, 8, and 7 at the time — were taken into state protective custody after Azaeliyah’s death.
“In this case, a community grieves, a family grieves, and there will never be any winners in this situation" said Deputy Prosecutor Tiffany Kaeo
Judge Somerville chose prison time over probation and during sentencing he said, “I’ve never had to sentence a mother who caused serious bodily injury to her child.” Pili received credit for time already served and was ordered to pay more than $1,000 in restitution.
Everyone involved had their opinion after the sentencing. While the victims biological family felt the sentence was lenient, Pili’s family wanted probation, not prison time.
Outside the courtroom, relatives from Azaeliyah’s biological family and Pili’s adoptive family exchanged insults after the sentence, and the confrontation turned physical before authorities stepped in.
“That whole commotion, they’re the ones that actually left her behind. It’s a sticky situation where you have a family who kind of just drops off a child with people who don’t even know anything about her and then dug out,” said Pili’s cousin, Mounia Tachibana, while defending Pili and directing the blame at the girl’s birth relatives.
On the other hand, the victim’s blood relative Carol Jean Acevedo saw the 10-year sentence as far too short and lenient, as per Hawaii News
“It’s bullsh*t, it’s bullsh*t. Everybody knows it. I see the news posting articles and even the comment section on social media, and everybody knows it. This is like telling people you can beat your sick child until they die,” Acevedo said.
Defense attorney Myles Breiner told reporters he planned to appeal. “The court should have sentenced her to probation. It was deserved and warranted under the circumstances,” he said. For now, Pili remains in custody as that appeal is probably prepared.
For more true crime stories and updates on high-profile cases, sign up for our free newsletter here. For our long true crime content, and exclusive true crime deep dives, subscribe to join our community on Patreon.
Comments
Post a Comment