Elizabeth Fernandez was found dead at her South Kona home. The body of her ex-boyfriend was found outside after he apparently killed himself.

A woman killed by her ex-boyfriend on the Big Island had obtained a temporary restraining order against him, the latest case to raise concerns about the effectiveness of such protective measures for domestic violence victims.

On Monday, 42-year-old Elizabeth Fernandez was found dead at her home in Kealakekua, and the body of her ex-boyfriend was found outside, according to Big Island police. He appeared to have wound and had a rifle next to him. 

His identity was withheld pending notification of next of kin, police said. 

Fernandez was killed just over a week after a similar attack on Oahu, where police said Jason Cachuela shot to death his estranged wife, Theresa Cachuela, before killing himself. She also had recently obtained a TRO, prompting advocates to call for steps to strengthen security measures for domestic abuse victims.

Kapolei Judiciary Complex. Family Court is located inside this complex.
Theresa Cachuela was killed by her estranged husband who then killed himself last month on Oahu. Her case has similarities to that of Elizabeth Fernandez, who was killed on the Big Island. (Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022)

In Fernandez’s case, her order required her ex-boyfriend to surrender his firearms and banned him from going within 100 feet of her or 100 yards of her home or place of work.  

She wrote in an application for the order that on Dec. 23, he threatened to kill her, grabbed her mouth and hit the back of her head. He also took her car keys so she couldn鈥檛 leave, she wrote.

Six days later, she wrote that as she was leaving for work, she found him standing in her driveway, threatening her and demanding to talk. 

鈥淚 feel threatened and afraid all the time while with him,鈥 she wrote. 鈥淗e has anger issues and takes it out on me – hitting, threatening, abusive language, shaming me in public.鈥 

She also wrote that he had access to a gun for hunting as well as knives. 

The Hawaii Police Department said that her 71-year-old father found the ex-boyfriend’s body while walking to his daughter’s residence on the same property.

“A check of the daughter鈥檚 residence led to the discovery of her body with an apparent gunshot wound to her face,” the press release said.

Big Island police said the investigation is ongoing.

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