Mikella DeBina: Good Samaritans rescue kidnapped Hawaii teen after spotting ‘something off’

The girl was reportedly abducted at knife point while she and her boyfriend were visiting the beach

Mikella DeBina was abducted by knifepoint in Hawaii on 16 September (Hawaii Police handout)

A 15-year-old girl in Hawaii who had been reported missing was found thanks in part to two Good Samaritans who offered aid.

Mikella DeBina was allegedly abducted near Anaehoomalu Bay between 1.30pm and 2.20pm on Friday, 16 September. The girl's aunt, Laurene Debina, told KGMB that a kidnapper approached Mikella and her boyfriend at a beach on Friday. He allegedly used the knife to coerce Mikella to join him and to tie up and blindfold her boyfriend.

Mikella's mother said that her daughter convinced her alleged kidnapper - later identified as 52-year-old Duncan Kealoha Mahi -to take her out to get food. Once they arrived at a restaurant, Mikella tried to slip away from her abductor.

Bridge Hartman, a host at the restaurant, witnessed Mikella try to slip away before she was caught again by her abductor. Mr Hartman said he sensed something was wrong about the duo.

“Something is off,” Mr Hartman said. “Even if it wasn’t her, my brain was like, ‘I need to get her.’”

Thankfully Mr Hartman knew Mikella was missing after an Amber Alert was issued on Friday, and recognised who she was and what was happening.

"I was like, ‘Wait, what’s happening?’ It just wasn’t connecting," he said. "Then, I realized it was her. And I yelled out, ‘That’s the girl. That’s the AMBER Alert girl.’”

Once he realised who she was, he rushed in to help.

“She got away from him like just for like a brief moment,” Mr Hartman said. “And I was able to grab her in time. And I rushed her into into our back of our restaurant.”

Duncan Kealoha Mahi, 52, in custody after he was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping 15-year-old Mikella Debina. (Hawai'i Police Department)

Mr Hartman was aided by another helpful hero, Kori Takaki, according her her mother.

Ms Takaki said she was eating in the restaurant when she noticed the girl wearing ill-fitting men’s clothes. She sprung into action just as Mr Hartman was wrestling Mikella away from her abductor.

“It all just happened so fast, where he was bringing her in, and he said, ‘This is her. This is her.’ And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh!’” Ms Takaki told KHON.

After Mikella was safely separated and moved to a back room of the restaurant, Ms Takaki stayed with the girl until she could contact the police and her parents.

“She seemed really scared,” Ms Takaki said. “She was shaking. But she seemed I mean, as good as I could imagine.”

Mikella and Mr Hartman gave witness statements to the police, who used the identifying information to search for suspects.

A few hours later local police located a man they believe matched the description they were given, and arrested Mr Mahi.

Mr Hartman told police that Mr Mahi was allegedly trying to convince everyone at the restaurant that the girl was his daughter.