Boy, 13, held in
sex assault of girl

The alleged abduction
of the 6-year-old stirs
parents' fears on Maui

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By Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.com

WAILUKU >> A 13-year-old Makawao boy was being held as a suspect in the abduction and sexual assault of a 6-year-old girl on Maui.

The girl told her parents she was lured into an abandoned house near Eddie Tam Gym in Makawao on Tuesday, tied up and sexually assaulted repeatedly, police said. The assault was reported shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Acting police Lt. Michael Kaho'ohanohano said the mother was engaged in an activity at the gym and had left the child in the care of her older sister. The mother called police after noticing the child was missing.

Kaho'ohanohano said neighborhood children found the girl in the abandoned house, and the child was returned to her mother. He said the girl, who does not live in Makawao, did not require hospitalization.

The 13-year-old boy was taken to facilities on Oahu for detention until a Family Court hearing on Maui because there is no detention area for youths on the Valley Isle, Kaho'ohanohano said.

The alleged abduction and attack in Upcountry Maui has created an atmosphere of worry in the Makawao community.

The incident reminded some residents of the Sept. 27 homicide of a 6-year-old on the Big Island. A 14-year-old boy has been charged in that case.

Makawao Elementary School Principal Bruce Anderson said he received calls from parents early Wednesday morning about the incident.

"They were concerned," he said.

Anderson said before the end of school Wednesday, teachers reminded students about taking safety precautions, such as staying in pairs, not approaching or interacting with strangers, and reporting suspicious behavior to parents and adults.