Grand jury indicts 52-year-old suspect in Hawaii Island abduction that’s rattled community

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A grand jury has indicted the 52-year-old suspect accused in a disturbing abduction and crime spree that’s rattled Hawaii Island.

Duncan Mahi was indicted Wednesday on 11 counts, including kidnapping, terroristic threatening and sex assault.

Ahead of the indictment, Mahi was in court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing where some new evidence was revealed.

Mahi sat with his head down for much of the proceedings, listening as Hawaii County police officers detailed their response to 911 calls about the abduction of a 15-year-old girl.

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Hawaii County Sgt. Bradden Kimura was one of the first officers on scene at the Waikoloa beach where the girl was taken. “(the) dispatcher relayed that the male was hysterical on the phone and that he was robbed at knifepoint and his girlfriend that was with him was missing,” Kimura testified.

Kimura said the teen boy had been restrained with plastic zip ties, and clothing was taped over his face and mouth. “He had what appeared to me to be blue painter’s tape around the back of his head and entangled in his hair,” Kimura said. “He also had what appeared to be blue marks leftover from tape on his wrists.”

Mahi was named the suspect hours later.

Police say the teen girl was kidnapped, assaulted and held at knifepoint.

She was able to escape the next day with help from employees of a Hilo restaurant who recognized her from news reports about the MAILE AMBER Alert.

Mahi’s attorney told the court that no one who testified so far has identified his client as the person who committed the crimes.

Since Mahi was indicted late Wednesday afternoon, the preliminary hearing is no longer needed as the case moves forward.

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