A man accused of murdering his father and critically injuring his mother suffered from mental health problems and attacked his parents with a hatchet hours after he was denied money for drugs, the man's brother told police shortly after the incident.

Mark Kawakami, 43, is charged with the murder of his father, Sueo, 79, and attempted murder of his mother, Janet, 78, in their Waipahu home Saturday morning.

Mark Kawakami made his initial court appearance yesterday before District Judge Lono Lee, who set a preliminary hearing for 1:30 p.m. tomorrow to determine if there is sufficient evidence to send the case to Circuit Court for trial.

Kawakami was represented by the state Public Defender's office yesterday, but has yet to be assigned an attorney.

Stan Kawakami said his brother was a methamphetamine user and that Sueo Kawakami on Friday afternoon had refused to give Mark Kawakami money to buy drugs, according to court documents.

Stan Kawakami said he awoke about 2:30 a.m. Saturday when he heard Mark's shouts coming from a room where his parents normally slept.

Police said Sueo and Janet Kawakami suffered severe wounds and were bleeding profusely.

Sueo Kawakami was pronounced dead at St. Francis Medical Center-West and Janet Kawakami was taken to The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition.

According to court documents, Stan Kawakami said he came out of his bedroom after hearing the shouts and was confronted by Mark, who stood in the hallway holding a hatchet.

Mark told him that he had just killed their parents and would kill him, too, the document said.

Stan Kawakami said he went back into his room to retrieve a knife to protect himself.

After seeing his brother with the knife, Mark Kawakami left the family home at 94-544 Niulii St. and drove his parents' car to the Pearl City City police station where, according to court documents, he told the desk sergeant — who turned out to be a childhood friend — "I just killed my ... parents, send the cops to my house."

According to court documents:

Once Mark Kawakami left the home, his brother found their father lying on the living room floor, bleeding from several head wounds.

He found his mother lying on one of the sofas in the living room with wounds on the back of her neck.

Stan Kawakami called 911 and told dispatchers his brother had attacked their parents with a hatchet.

One of the officers at the Pearl City police station walked out to check on the the 1994 Honda station wagon that Kawakami arrived in and looked through the open driver's window to see a red-handle hatchet lying on some newspapers on the front passenger seat.

Mark Kawakami was arrested at the Pearl City police station on murder and attempted murder charges.

Reach David Waite at dwaite@honoluluadvertiser.com.