Kidnapping of woman takes place in plain view downtown
Police continued to search for the suspect and victim into night
A man kidnapped a young woman at knifepoint from a busy downtown sidewalk at about 1:55 p.m. yesterday, witnesses told police.
Police said witnesses saw the man and woman arguing in a red sport utility vehicle in front of the Executive Centre Hotel, 1088 Bishop St.
The woman got out and the man followed her.
"The next thing you know, the man had a knife to her throat, and she's being forced into a car," said Sgt. Kregg Luke, of the Chinatown substation.
"Witnesses said it happened so fast, and the next thing you know, they were gone," he said.
Police have opened up a kidnapping and first-degree terroristic threatening case.
Luke said the location and the time of day make the case unusual.
The area is often crowded, with lots of pedestrians, he said.
Police issued an islandwide all-points bulletin after the incident. Chinatown police canvassed the entire area but found nothing, Luke said.
The suspect is described as a man in his late 20s or early 30s, 6 feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds, police said.
The victim is a female in her late teens to early 20s with brown hair, police said.
Based on the description, police had a possible identity of the suspect and victim but failed to find them as of last night.
Police also had not located the SUV.
According to a police report, a man claiming to be the suspect's attorney called at 7:35 p.m. saying the suspect and victim would come to the Kailua police station in an hour.
As of 9:30 p.m. neither the suspect nor the victim had done so, police said.