Nanakuli Wendy’s reopens after stabbing death of employee; mother thanks community for outpouring of love, support

NANAKULI (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Wendy’s restaurant in Nanakuli reopened Friday, nearly two weeks after a fatal stabbing of a young employee.
The victim was identified as Kashka Otto, 22.
Otto’s mother sat outside the fast-food restaurant’s front door, near the spot where her son had the altercation that resulted in his death.
“When I lost my son, it was really hard,” said Salote Otto. “I was very heartbroken, but we’re trying to pick up the pieces, right? It’s really hard.”
The restaurant has been closed since the Waianae High School graduate’s deadly fight with customer Reynaldo Cheney, who has been indicted for murder in the incident and is being held without bail.
Cotti Foods, the Wendy’s franchisee, had announced that the reopening day would be a show of support for the Otto family.
The move drew a flood of diners.
“I think it’s such an awesome thing that Wendy’s is doing this,” said Waianae resident Lokana Keliikoa-Pua, who was waiting in the long line for the drive-thru. “Not just a portion, not just the profits, but 100 percent proceeds to the family of this young man.”
“The drive-thru line has been out onto Farrington (Highway) at some times today. The walk-in line has been full,” said state Rep. Darius Kila, who serves the Nanakuli community. “I was here for lunch and there was no open tables.”
Otto’s mother watched customers come and go while sitting with friends and family. Messages written on the sidewalk expressed their condolences, their love, and their farewells.
“My son was a very important person to me,” she said. “The community knew him so well, which I didn’t know. But now I found out today, you know, it really touched me.”
“It’s always in death you kind of get to learn people’s impact, and sharing with his mom, I was like, look at how much lives your son has touched in just 22 years,” said Kila.
“People always hear about bad things, but we’ve got a lot of the goodness coming out of here,” said Keliikoa-Pua.
“I know it’s not gonna bring my son back, but I’m very appreciative to the community and everyone that came out, and I just want to say thank you to everybody that came out,” said Salote Otto.
Salote had come to the restaurant at 8 a.m. As the sun set, she was still there, next to the memorial for Kashka.
“To me, I think he was going to be burying me, but now I’m burying him,” she said.
“I’m not ready to say goodbye to him — and I don’t think I’ll ever be ready.”
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