WAILUKU - A 27-year-old man was arrested Tuesday and charged with kidnapping for allegedly holding his girlfriend at knifepoint in a Kahului apartment and in a vehicle, police said.
Francis Ramirez was apprehended on Oahu and brought back to Maui by officers, said Lt. John Jakubczak of the Criminal Investigation Division.
The incident was reported at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. The woman reported being punched by Ramirez after an argument in their apartment at the Harbor Lights Condominium, Jakubczak said. He said the victim suffered injuries to her eye and face and indicated that she lost consciousness.
When she awoke and tried to leave the apartment, Ramirez stopped her by blocking the door while brandishing a knife and ordering her into a bedroom, Jakubczak said. He said Ramirez held the woman at knifepoint while threatening to kill her.
Later, he forced her to accompany him to Kahului Airport, Jakubczak said. As Ramirez drove to the airport, the woman tried to get out of the vehicle but he restrained her, locked the doors and continued to threaten to kill her while brandishing a knife, Jakubczak said.
He said Ramirez boarded a flight to Oahu. The woman then drove herself to the Maui Memorial Medical Center emergency room and police were called.
