Father Beaten to Death on Waikiki Beach After Moving to Hawaii

A 50-year-old father of three who moved to Hawaii to rebuild his life was brutally beaten to death on one of the world’s most famous beaches — in an unprovoked attack that has left his family shattered and searching for answers.

Christian Alejandro Coronel, an Argentinian immigrant who had recently started a job as a window glazier in Waikiki, was attacked by a stranger near the Waikiki Beach Hostel on November 8. He never regained consciousness. Four days later, his family made the painful decision to remove him from life support.

“He wanted a better life,” said his ex-wife, Maria Quiroga, who flew from the mainland to Hawaii with their three children the day after the attack. “It’s devastating someone took that away. He was loving and had a huge heart.”

Police say Ishmael Piula Luavasa, 43, attacked Coronel without warning. Witnesses described a violent assault that left the father unresponsive before help could arrive.

Luavasa was initially charged with attempted murder, but after Coronel died on November 12, prosecutors upgraded the charge to second-degree murder. He remains held without bail and, if convicted, faces life in prison without parole.

Honolulu police have not released a possible motive. The attack, which occurred near the bustling Kalākaua Avenue, has reignited debate over crime and mental health on Oahu’s tourist-heavy south shore.

Coronel had arrived in Hawaii less than a month earlier. Friends said he had been excited to start over and planned to bring his children once he was financially stable.

Born in poverty in Argentina, he began working at just eight years old. He later immigrated to the U.S., where he built a home from scratch in Washington State. He became a U.S. citizen along with his ex-wife and eldest daughter, Micaela Coronel, 29. His younger children, Ariana, 24, and Sebastian, 16, were born in the United States.

“He sacrificed everything so we could have something,” said Ariana. “He worked nonstop, and he still found time to call every day to check on us.”

When Coronel was declared brain-dead, his family agreed to donate his organs — a final act of kindness they said reflected his nature.

Hospital staff held an “honor walk,” lining the hallways as his body was moved to surgery while Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro” played — his favorite song.

“My dad was going by ‘Alejandro’ in Hawaii,” Micaela told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “Everyone said he played that song all day, every day. It meant everything that they played it for him one last time.”

The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii (VASH) stepped in to help the grieving family. CEO Jessica Lani Rich said her team provided transportation, lodging, and emotional support throughout their stay.

“It gave them tremendous comfort that he was giving someone else another chance at life,” Rich said.

Now, the family is determined to bring his ashes home and see his killer convicted.

“We have a long road ahead,” Quiroga said. “But we’re not letting go. We want justice — for him and for us.”

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help with funeral and travel expenses as the Coronel family prepares to return home with his ashes.

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Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii, GoFundMe