Court records detail teen's kidnapping ordeal on Big Island
Sep. 21—A 52-year-old man accused of abducting a 15-year-old girl from a beach in Waikoloa allegedly forced her to smoke crystal methamphetamine, sexually assaulted her and shackled her inside a bus on his property, according to court documents that detail the teen's terrifying experience.
A 52-year-old man accused of abducting a 15-year-old girl from a beach in Waikoloa allegedly forced her to smoke crystal methamphetamine, sexually assaulted her and shackled her inside a bus on his property, according to court documents that detail the teen's terrifying experience.
Duncan Kealoha Mahi made his initial appearance in Hilo District Court on Tuesday before Judge Jeffrey Hawk via videoconference from the courthouse cellblock. He is charged with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, two counts of first-degree robbery, one count of methamphetamine trafficking, one count of first-degree sexual assault involving a minor between 14 and 16 years old, one count of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of third-degree sexual assault.
Mahi is in custody at the Hawaii Community Correctional Center with his bail set at more than $2 million.
He is scheduled to return to court today for a preliminary hearing.
Mahi allegedly abducted the teenager Friday from a beach at Anaehoomalu Bay in Waikoloa. The abduction triggered a Maile Amber Alert with a response from local, state and federal agencies.
On Saturday afternoon the 15-year-old was able to break free from the suspect with the help of good Samaritans at a Hilo restaurant where he had taken her to get something to eat.
Hawaii island police in court documents said the teenager told police her abductor walked up to her and her boyfriend while they were at the beach Friday and brandished a knife while demanding money. Mahi then allegedly grabbed her, put a knife to her throat and instructed her to bind her boyfriend's legs together with zip ties and tape that he handed to her. The girl was then told to put a shirt in her boyfriend's mouth and cover his head with a towel and secure it with the tape.
Police said Mahi threatened "she would die " if she didn't comply. He also allegedly threatened to harm her boyfriend with the knife.
Mahi then allegedly led her across a lava field and forced her into his vehicle, where he instructed her to put on a black hat and disposable black face mask. The teen told police that he forced her to smoke crystal methamphetamine twice from a pipe and sexually assaulted her.
Once they reached the suspect's property, according to court documents, Mahi led her into a yellow bus behind his home and shackled her left ankle with a brown fabric cuff that he tightened with a pair of pliers.
She described to police that the cuff had a cable attached to a metal bracket welded onto a metal bar inside the bus, limiting her movement to about 3-1 /2 feet.
The next day, the teen said, she persuaded her captor to take her to Cafe Pesto in Hilo to eat. At about 11 :20 a.m. a witness heard screaming and yelling from the alleyway near the cafe and saw the teen struggling to get away from a man, police said.
She managed to break free and ran. When the suspect tried to chase after her, he allegedly told the witness who tried to stop him that the girl was his daughter and to get out of the way.
A homeless man nearby during the exchange said, "That's the girl in the news, " court documents said. Aware of the Maile Amber Alert, the witness said the suspect ran to a car when the witness told him he would find out whether the girl was indeed his daughter.
The witness followed the suspect and took photos of the man's car before he drove away.
Police located Mahi that afternoon in Hilo and arrested him.
"This type of criminal behavior will not be tolerated, " said Hawaii County Prosecutor Kelden Waltjen.
Mahi has a criminal record of four felony convictions for abuse of a family or household member, terroristic threatening and burglary. His record also includes three misdemeanor convictions for resisting arrest, criminal contempt of court and consuming or possessing intoxicating liquor while operating a vehicle.
