An AMBER Alert was issued for Debina on Friday after she was reported abducted at about 1:30 p.m. in the Anaehoomalu Bay area near Waikoloa Beach Drive. Witnesses and family members said the suspect and the kidnapped teenager went to Cafe Pesto in Downtown Hilo — where the restaurant’s owner says he knew something was wrong. “That’s it, something’s wrong. And just, even if it wasn’t her, my brain had to get her,” Bridge Hartman said. Hartman said teenager and suspect Duncan Mahy went to the host’s booth twice for a table. When they pulled away, Hartman noticed they started arguing. “And I realize that’s when they started fighting… I was like — Wait, what’s going on? It just wasn’t connecting,” Hartman said. “And then, I knew it was her. And I yelled, that’s the girl… that’s the AMBER Alert girl. This is her. She is.” He said the suspect let go of the teenager for a second. That’s when Hartman rushed in. “She left him, as if for a while. And I was able to grab her just in time. And I pushed her to the back of our restaurant.” Fronted at the time was artist Dragonfly, who is well known in downtown Hilo. “Suddenly I can hear a girl screaming, ‘Help, help, leave me alone,’” Dragonfly said. “And then here comes this guy dragging her.” Hartman said the suspect tried to convince everyone that Debina was his daughter. Another good Samaritan on the scene was Cori Takaki. She and her mom were eating at Cafe Pesto when the incident happened. “When I looked at her, it looked like a man and a woman fighting,” Takaki said. “But she was wearing men’s clothes and I thought, this is weird. She doesn’t seem to be wearing her own clothes.” Witnesses said Debina was scared and shaken, but unharmed. “He was saying he kidnapped me, he kidnapped me. Thank you,’” Hartman recalled. “And I just walked into the office. He took her water.” Takaki stayed with Debina until the police arrived and helped her contact her mom. He said the real hero is the host of Cafe Pesto. “He really was a brave young man,” Takaki said. “I know this is a mother’s worst nightmare.” Hartman said this is the first time he’s faced a situation like this, but he’s relieved he acted on his instincts. “So if you see something, just do something,” Hartman added. “I think the most important thing we can do is just really prepare our kids to know that they need to be safe and aware of their surroundings at all times,” Takaki added. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call 911. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crimestoppers at (808) 961-8300. Copyright 2022 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
