A 25-year-old Hilo man accused of abducting and abusing his former girlfriend while a fugitive from justice was arraigned Thursday.
A 25-year-old Hilo man accused of abducting and abusing his former girlfriend while a fugitive from justice was arraigned Thursday.
Keahi Calvin Sale pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping, three counts of second-degree sexual assault, two counts of felony domestic abuse, three counts of misdemeanor domestic abuse, second-degree terroristic threatening, second-degree unlawful imprisonment, auto theft, reckless driving, resisting an order to stop, driving without headlights, driving on wrong side of road and two counts of failure to stop at a red light.
The most serious offense, kidnapping, is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment.
Sale was indicted May 7. He was scheduled for a preliminary hearing Thursday afternoon in Hilo District Court, but the indictment rendered the hearing to determine probable cause for trial unnecessary.
Hilo Circuit Court Judge Greg Nakamura ordered Sale to appear for trial at 8:30 p.m. Sept. 8 before Hilo Circuit Judge Glenn Hara.
The offenses stem from incidents on April 14 and 19 and involve a 27-year-old former girlfriend. Sale is accused of choking and assaulting the woman and taking her car in the earlier incident.
In the second incident, Sale is accused of kidnapping the woman in Hilo, sexually assaulting her and taking her to Spencer Beach Park in West Hawaii, where the victim called for help from passersby. Sale was restrained by other beach-goers until police arrived and arrested him.
Sale was wanted by authorities on three unrelated warrants at the time and had been the subject of police bulletins seeking the public’s help in finding him since January. He was also featured on the public-access television show “Hawaii Island’s Most Wanted.” The media dispatches described him as “armed and dangerous.”
Sale had been missing since Dec. 9 when he failed to show for a court date on a still active terroristic threatening charge. There are also pending motions to revoke his probation on burglary, assault, terroristic threatening and property damage convictions.
Nakamura maintained Sale’s bail at $168,000 and Sale remains in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.