Man charged in connection with terrifying attempted kidnapping caught on video

HONOLULU (KHNL/Gray News) — A 23-year-old man in Hawaii has been charged in connection with a terrifying attempted kidnapping that was caught on video.

Police identified the suspect as Diesel Makanikaiaulu Kawelo and arrested him. He was charged Wednesday with kidnapping.

His bail was set at $500,000.

The kidnapping attempt happened in the middle of the afternoon Monday in Honolulu.

Authorities said they were called to Kainalu condominiums about the reported kidnapping.

Surveillance video from the area showed a truck parked outside the condominium complex that afternoon. A man was then seen going inside the garage, appearing to confront two women and chase one of them.

A 77-year-old condo resident, who asked not to be identified, said the man picked up her 24-year-old friend.

Police said the suspect elbowed the 77-year-old woman in the face.

“He shoved me away from my friend and he picked her up,” she said. “He looked like a monster. He just had so much hatred and craziness in his eyes.”

The woman added, “I was yelling, ‘Help! Help!’ and she was yelling, too. She was saying, ‘You don’t want to do this. Don’t do this.’”

The 77-year-old said her friend was trying to fend off the kidnapper while she was hoping others would hear their screams for help.

Neighbor and witness Beverly Louis said she could see the man bear-hugging the woman and dragging her to the back of his truck.

“I just started screaming, ‘Drop her! Drop her! Drop her!’” Louis said. “She was screaming for her life. She was terrified.”

Neighbor and fellow witness Mike Finkelstein said he also yelled at the man to let the woman go.

“Let her go. I’ve called the police. I’m coming down there after you,” Finkelstein recalled yelling.

Several neighbors then intervened after seeing and hearing the commotion, helping the 24-year-old break free.

Witnesses said the suspect got into his truck and sped off. Police were able to take him into custody a few hours later after he was seen running naked in a nearby neighborhood, police said.

The 77-year-old woman thanked her fellow residents for their help but said she and her friend were continuing to have nightmares as the neighborhood remained on edge.