WAILUKU, Hawaii — A Hawaii jury has acquitted a Maui man who was charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman.
WAILUKU, Hawaii — A Hawaii jury has acquitted a Maui man who was charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman.
The Maui News reports the jury found 44-year-old Binh Le not guilty of kidnapping and sexual assault charges after deliberating for less than an hour Tuesday.
A 19-year-old woman had told police that she was walking down a road in Kihei in June 2016 when Le stopped his car and took her against her will.
Deputy Public Defender Ben Lowenthal told jurors that there was insufficient evidence for a conviction, describing the woman’s claims as a “far-fetched and preposterous story.”
Prosecutor Jeffery Temas says the outcome was not what they wanted, but bringing the case forward allowed “the community opportunity to consider the evidence and bring closure for the parties involved.”
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Information from: The Maui News, http://www.mauinews.com