WAILUKU - An 18-year-old Lahaina man was charged with kidnapping and other offenses for allegedly restraining his girlfriend in his vehicle and assaulting her last month, police said.
An all-points bulletin had been issued for Richard Kealoha-Kaauwai before he was arrested after 4 p.m. Thursday, said Lt. John Jakubczak of the Criminal Investigation Division.
In addition to kidnapping, Kealoha-Kaauwai was charged with third-degree assault and interfering with reporting of an emergency for an incident at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday in the area known as River Mouth on Kaae Road in Waiehu.
He and his girlfriend, a 16-year-old Wailuku resident, were with friends when she reportedly confronted him about being under the influence of drugs and said she wanted to be taken home, Jakubczak said. He said Kealoha-Kaauwai allegedly prevented the girl from leaving by locking her in his vehicle, where he began punching and choking her until she almost lost consciousness.
She was able to temporarily break away, but he chased her down and dragged her by her hair back to the vehicle, where he continued punching and choking her, Jakubczak said.
Bail for Kealoha-Kaauwai was set at $5,200 on the charges in the Wailuku case.
He also was arrested for investigation of robbery and unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle in an earlier Lahaina case. Information about those charges couldn't be obtained Friday.
