Kailua man charged after Honolulu condo attempted abduction caught on camera

Diesel Makanikaiaulu Kawelo, 23, was arrested and charged Wednesday with kidnapping after an attempt Monday afternoon at the Kainalu condominiums in Honolulu. Honolulu police set his bail at $500,000.

Officers responded to a report of a kidnapping at the complex. Surveillance footage showed a truck parked outside the garage, and a man going inside, where he confronted two women and chased one of them. Police said the suspect elbowed a 77-year-old resident in the face. The resident said he shoved her aside and lifted her 24-year-old friend off the ground.

The 77-year-old resident, who asked not to be identified, said she screamed for help as her friend struggled. "He looked like a monster. He just had so much hatred and craziness in his eyes," she said. Her friend told the man, "You don't want to do this. Don't do this," according to the resident.

Neighbor Beverly Louis said she watched the man bear-hugging the woman and pulling her toward 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 Mike Finkelstein said he yelled at the man, "Let her go. I've called the police. I'm coming down there after you."

Several residents who heard the commotion intervened, and the 24-year-old broke free. Witnesses said the man got into his truck and drove off. Police took him into custody a few hours later after he was spotted running naked in a nearby neighborhood. The 77-year-old resident thanked neighbors for their help and said she and her friend were still having nightmares, adding the neighborhood remained on edge.