Man indicted for kidnapping girl, forcing her to smoke meth

HONOLULU — A 52-year-old Hawaii man was indicted this week on multiple counts after he allegedly forced a 15-year-old girl to tie up her boyfriend, then kidnapped and sexually assaulted her, as well as forced her to smoke meth.

Authorities say Duncan Mahi walked up to the girl and her boyfriend at Anaehoomalu Beach on the Kona side of the Big Island on Friday, put a knife to her throat, took the girl’s money and her boyfriend’s cellphone.

Court documents allege Mahi told the girl to tie her boyfriend’s legs and hands together using zip-ties and tape that he provided. He forced her to put the boyfriend’s shirt in his mouth, cover his head with a towel and secure both items with the tape, the police booking sheet said.

Mahi told the girl she would die if her boyfriend got loose, according to the police account.

Mahi then allegedly forced the girl into a white Honda SUV. While driving along the highway, he forced the girl to smoke methamphetamine and sexually assaulted her, the documents said.

Once at his property, he shackled her to a yellow bus behind the main house by putting a fabric cuff around her left ankle that was attached to a cable.

Attorney Matthew Sylva, who was appointed to represent Mahi at a preliminary hearing, said he had no comment.

Police issued an Maile Amber Alert, similar to the Amber Alert for missing children in other states, shortly after the girl’s kidnapping.

Police said the girl managed to get free on Saturday after she convinced Mahi to take her to a restaurant in Hilo to get something to eat. A witness saw them scuffling outside Cafe Pesto, and stopped Mahi from running after the girl. A homeless man sitting on the sidewalk said, “That’s the girl in the news,” after which Mahi ran to a car.

Police found Mahi in Hilo about two hours later.

Mahi’s indictment, filed in court Wednesday, charges him with kidnapping, terroristic threatening, robbery, sexual assault and methamphetamine trafficking. If found guilty, he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole because he was convicted twice for two separate 2018 cases of terroristic threatening. His next court date has not been set.

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This story has been corrected to show that Matthew Sylva is Mahi’s attorney.