Bail set at $500,000 for suspect in Honolulu attempted kidnapping

A Hawaii court set bail at $500,000 for a 23-year-old man charged with kidnapping following an attempted abduction at a Honolulu apartment complex. Diesel Makanikaiaulu Kawelo was arrested and formally charged on Wednesday for the incident that occurred on Monday afternoon.

Authorities responded to calls at the Kainalu condominiums regarding a reported kidnapping. Surveillance footage captured a truck parked outside the complex before the suspect entered the garage area. Video shows him confronting two women and pursuing one of them toward the vehicle.

A 77-year-old resident, who requested anonymity, described the physical violence of the encounter. She stated that the suspect elbowed her in the face and physically lifted her 24-year-old friend. The woman described the suspect as having intense hatred in his eyes while shouting for assistance. Her friend pleaded with the man not to continue the assault.

Beverly Louis, a neighbor and witness, observed the suspect bear-hugging the victim and dragging her toward the rear of his truck. Louis recalled screaming repeatedly for him to release the woman. Mike Finkelstein, another resident, shouted that he had called police and was descending to confront the suspect. Several neighbors eventually intervened, allowing the 24-year-old to break free from the grip.

The suspect fled the scene in his truck. Police located and detained him several hours later after witnesses spotted him running naked in a nearby neighborhood. The arrest concluded the immediate search for the individual seen on camera.

The 77-year-old witness reported that she and her friend continue to experience nightmares following the event. The neighborhood remains cautious in the days following the incident. The 24-year-old victim was not physically injured but was shaken by the confrontation.