CA Judge Approves Extradition Of Hawaii Escapee

SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, CA -- A judge this week approved of the extradition of a Hawaii psychiatric patient who flew to California last month.

California Judge Michael Mulvihill authorized the extradition of Randall Saito back to the islands after he escaped from the Hawaii State Hospital. Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin said a status conference has been scheduled for Jan. 5, which will arrange for the transfer of Saito.

Saito will face felony escape charges for leaving the Hawaii State Hospital, Chin said.

Saito escaped the hospital on Nov. 12 then took a charter flight to Maui before arriving in San Jose on a commercial flight. The escape prompted a west coast search for the patient.

Saito was committed to the hospital outside Honolulu in 1981, two years after he was acquitted in the killing of Sandra Yamashiro.

--Associated Press contributed to this report/Photo credit: State Hospital Hospital/Honolulu Police Department via AP