Court documents describe a harrowing ordeal suffered by the 15-year-old victim of the Big Island’s first-ever AMBER alert.
Mikella Debina told police that on Friday afternoon, 52-year-old Duncan Kealoha Mahi walked up to her and her 15-year-old boyfriend at Anaehoomalu Beach, brandished a knife and demanded money.
According to Debina, Mahi took her money, about $50, as well as her and her boyfriend’s cellphones. He then ordered her to zip-tie and tape her boyfriend’s legs and hands together, telling her if her boyfriend got loose, she would die.
After leading her through a kiawe thicket and a lava field to the back beach parking lot, Mahi forced the victim into a white Honda sport-utility vehicle and forced her to smoke methamphetamine, documents state.
According to Debina, Mahi made her perform sexual acts on him as he was driving over the Daniel K. Inouye Highway, and forced her to smoke meth again.
The girl then pretended to sleep until they reached Mahi’s Hilo property, where he led her to a yellow bus behind the house, documents state. There, he shackled her left ankle with a tight fabric cuff she was unable to break, which was attached to a cable that allowed her to move around only a short distance.
On Saturday, the victim persuaded Mahi to take her to Cafe Pesto to eat during lunch time, where she was able to escape, police said.
Mahi then fled, and a witness was able to take a photo of Mahi’s SUV, including the license plate number, and give it to police. Mahi was later arrested and a search warrant was executed on his Waiakea Uka property.
Mahi is charged with sex assault of a minor, first-degree sex assault, two counts each of third-degree sex assault, kidnapping, robbery and terroristic threatening, plus methamphetamine trafficking.
At Mahi’s initial court appearance today, Hilo District Judge Jeffrey Hawk set Mahi’s bail at $2,000,030 and ordered him to appear for a preliminary hearing at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Kona District Court.
See Wednesday’s Tribune-Herald for a more detailed story.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.