PEARL CITY — Police last night were looking for two men who entered a Noelani Street townhome wearing hockey goalie masks and stabbed a 29-year-old man to death early yesterday.

"They came into the house and stabbed my son and dragged him out into the yard," said the victim's father, Alfred Caires, who has lived in the townhome for 25 years. "I have no idea why they did it."

Police said the stabbing happened about 1 a.m., after the two attackers entered the home and demanded undisclosed items from the victim. An argument ensued and the victim was stabbed once in the chest, police said. The victim's girlfriend, 27, was injured when one of the attackers hit her with a handgun, police said. Both were taken to Kapi'olani Medical Center at Pali Momi.

"We believe there may have been an association between the victim and the suspects," police Maj. Frank Fujii said. "It was not random. The house was unlocked at the time. There was no forced entry."

The victim, a graduate of Pearl City High School, lived in the home with his father. The victim's name was not immediately released by the Honolulu Medical Examiner's office.

Police searched the area using dogs and searchlights around the townhome at 98-825 Noelani St. Officers found a knife believed to have been used in the stabbing.

Police said the attackers were described as African-American men in their early 20s. One man is 6 feet tall, and 140 to 160 pounds. He was wearing a black long-sleeved hooded shirt and black pants. The second man is 5-feet-10 to 6 feet tall, slim, and was wearing a black long-sleeved hooded shirt and black pants, police said.

The two-story townhome had wrought-iron grillwork over the lower windows and a "Beware of Dog" sign on the front screen door.

Jerritta Yaber, who lives behind the townhome, said she was awakened by screaming and a commotion. She said she heard a door slam and a young woman scream.

"I dialed 911 and told them to send an ambulance and police," Yaber said. "I looked out my window and saw a woman holding a man in her arms and she had a towel on him."

Yaber said she helped the woman by telling her to apply pressure to the wound and by giving the injured man CPR.

"He was alive before the police arrived," Yaber said. "I was sad when I heard he had passed. I tried to do everything I knew to do to help her."

The townhome community is usually quiet, Yaber said.

"This is the closest I've been to violence in the 18 years I've lived in Hawai'i," she said. "My nephew knew the family. He was devastated."

At the time of the early-morning attack, other family members were home, police Capt. Richard Robinson said He would not elaborate.

Neighbors said the victim had lived in the complex for several years and has a 2-year-old daughter. Police said the toddler was not home at the time of the attack.

Throughout the morning, family and friends came to the house. Family members declined to be interviewed.

"They're good people. I've lived by him nearly all my life," said Hilarion Gascon, who has lived there for more than 20 years. "They never bothered anybody. They liked to have some drinks and have fun, but he kept to himself and his family."

Gascon and his girlfriend, Dana Baba, said the area has few problems and both called it a quiet neighborhood.