Hawaii Man Charged With Kidnapping After Condo Garage Incident

Diesel Makanikaiaulu Kawelo, a 23-year-old resident of Hawaii, has been charged with kidnapping following an incident at a condominium complex in Honolulu. Police arrested the suspect and booked him on Wednesday. The court set his bail at $500,000.

The attempted abduction occurred on a Monday afternoon at the Kainalu condominiums. Authorities responded to a report of a kidnapping in progress. Surveillance footage from the area shows a truck parked outside the complex. A man enters the garage, confronts two women, and chases one of them.

A 77-year-old resident, who requested anonymity, described the events inside the garage. She stated that the suspect picked up her 24-year-old friend. According to police, the man elbowed the older woman in the face. “He shoved me away from my friend and he picked her up,” the woman said. “He looked like a monster. He just had so much hatred and craziness in his eyes.”

The 77-year-old woman recounted shouting for help while her friend pleaded with the suspect. “I was yelling, ‘Help! Help!’ and she was yelling, too,” she said. “She was saying, ‘You don’t want to do this. Don’t do this.’” The 24-year-old tried to fend off the attacker while the older woman hoped nearby residents would hear them.

Beverly Louis, a neighbor and witness, observed the suspect bear-hugging the woman and dragging her toward the rear of his truck. “I just started screaming, ‘Drop her! Drop her! Drop her!’” Louis recalled. “She was screaming for her life. She was terrified.” Another neighbor, Mike Finkelstein, yelled at the man to release the woman. “Let her go. I’ve called the police. I’m coming down there after you,” Finkelstein said.

Several residents intervened after hearing the commotion. They helped the 24-year-old woman break free from the suspect's grip. Witnesses reported that the man fled in his truck shortly after. Police located the suspect a few hours later in a nearby neighborhood. Officers found him running naked and took him into custody.

The 77-year-old woman thanked her neighbors for their assistance. She and her friend continue to experience nightmares following the incident. The neighborhood remains on edge.