With the help of two good Samaritans, an abducted 15-year-old girl escaped her captor.
Mikella DeBina and her boyfriend, Koa, were relaxing on a secluded part of the beach just near Anaehoomalu Bay.
It was the usual afternoon for them when suddenly, a man came up to them, pointed a knife, and ordered Mikella to tie her boyfriend, gag him using his shirt, and blindfold him.
The suspect robbed them of their money and cell phones and then took Mikella with him.
He forced Mikella to go inside a white Honda SUV, according to the police reports.
Then, he asked her to put on a black hat and a black disposable mask.
While they were driving to his home, the suspect forced Mikella to smoke methamphetamine. He then sexually assaulted her and had her smoke the drug again.
To save herself from any more assault, she acted like she was asleep for the rest of the trip.
After arriving at the property, he led her inside an empty old school bus where he cuffed her.
Mikella’s parents, friends, and the local authorities found out about the kidnapping.
The authorities soon issued a MAILE AMBER Alert.
Once a child is abducted or is in immediate danger, a MAILE AMBER Alert or (Minor Abducted In Life-threatening Emergency / AMerica’s Broadcast Emergency Response) will take place.
During the night, the suspect allowed Mikella to take a shower and even brush her teeth.
The next day, Mikella convinced her captor to take her to Café Pesto, where she planned to escape.
Once inside Cafe Pesto in Hilo, Mikella and her captor were looking for a table, and one of the restaurant hosts, Bridge Hartman, felt that something was off.
“I yelled out, ‘That’s the girl. That’s the Amber Alert girl,’” Bridge recalled the news the night before.
Just then, Kori Takaki was having lunch at the same restaurant. She heard Bridge, and she quickly jumped into action.
Along with Bridge, Kori grabbed Mikella away from the suspect, later found out to be 52-year-old Duncan Mahi.
Someone saw what happened and already called 911.
Bridge yelled and asked for help from the restaurant patrons to make sure that Mahi doesn’t leave the premises while he and Kori move Mikella to safety.
While the good Samaritans were taking Mikella away from Mahi, he shouted, “That’s my daughter. What the f*** are you doing? Get out of my way!”
They said to Mahi that if he really was telling the truth, they would find out.
Upon hearing this, Mahi ran off to his car and drove off.
However, a witness took a photo of his car, a white Honda CRV, including his plate number.
Mikella and the witness were both present as they identified Mahi in a photo lineup, police said.
Last September 17, Mahi was finally arrested on Hale Manu Drive in Hilo.
“Kori Takaki, she’s our hero. As well as another young man that ripped her away from this abductor,” said Cher Angelel, Mikella’s mother.
They charged Mahi with two counts of robbery, kidnapping, first-degree sex assault, terroristic threatening, and meth trafficking.
Watch the full news feature below and you can read the update from the authorities here.
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