Puna Kidnapping Suspects Charged

The Hawaiʻi Island Police Department has charged two suspects in connection with the kidnapping incident in Puna.

At 12:31 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017, officers responded to a call of a kidnapping from a Heʻe Street address in Hawaiian Beaches. Witnesses reported that a 31-year-old woman staying at the residence was struck in the face with a tire iron before being forced into the trunk of a sedan at gunpoint.

The victim was also found later that afternoon when she was dropped off at the Heʻe Street residence. She was taken by ambulance to the Hilo Medical Center where she was treated and released for non-life threatening injuries.

The burnt remnants of the suspect’s vehicle were discovered at the Lava Tree State Park in Pāhoa Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018.

Nikki Nasario. HPD photo

At 2:15 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 3, 26-year-old Nikki Nasario and 25-year-old Joshua Sosa were arrested for this incident and their outstanding warrants following a traffic stop by patrol officers on Highway 130 near the Ainaloa Boulevard intersection in Pāhoa.

At 8:45 a.m,. Friday, Jan. 5, police charged Nasario and Sosa with kidnapping, second-degree assault, and first-degree terroristic threatening. Their bail has been set at $25,000 each and are both being held at the Hawai‘i Community Correctional Center for unrelated charges as well as their initial appearance for this case Monday, Jan. 8, in District Court.

The two other suspects previously arrested in this case, 34-year-old Paul Alisa and 32-year-old Claude Carvalho Jr. were released pending further investigation.

Joshua Sosa. HPD photo

Anyone who may have information about this incident is asked to call the police department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311 or Detective Todd Pataray of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2382 or [email protected].

This information was provided by the authorities. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.