Hawaii man arrested after video shows garage struggle

Residents of the Kainalu condominiums in Honolulu are recovering from a violent afternoon when a man tried to carry a woman out of a garage. The incident was captured on surveillance cameras and played a key role in the investigation.

Police identified the suspect as Diesel Makanikaiaulu Kawelo, a 23-year-old man. He was arrested and charged with kidnapping on Wednesday. The court set his bail at $500,000.

The struggle began on Monday in the middle of the afternoon. Authorities received a call about a reported kidnapping at the complex. Video footage showed a truck parked outside the building. A man entered the garage and confronted two women, chasing one of them toward the exit.

A 77-year-old resident, who requested anonymity, described the attack. She said the man picked up her 24-year-old friend. "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 resident also noted that police said the suspect elbowed her in the face during the scuffle.

Neighbors heard the commotion and reacted quickly. Witness Beverly Louis saw 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." Another neighbor, Mike Finkelstein, yelled that he had called the police and would be coming down to help.

Several residents intervened to help the 24-year-old break free. Witnesses said the suspect jumped into his truck and drove away quickly. Police located him a few hours later after he was seen running naked in a nearby neighborhood.

The 77-year-old woman thanked her neighbors for stepping in. She and her friend reported continuing to have nightmares. The neighborhood remains on edge as the suspect awaits his next court date.