An Ocean View man has been arrested and charged with various offenses following a violent incident Monday at a residence on King Kalakaua Lane in the Hawaii Ocean View Estates Subdivision.
Police allege 50-year-old Ian Benjamin Winther, of Ocean View, kidnapped, assaulted and threatened a 27-year-old Ocean View woman.
Police reported that Ka‘u Patrol officers responded to a report of a female who had been assaulted by an acquaintance on Sunday at approximately 4:35 p.m. The victim reported being bound with duct tape and physically assaulted by Winther at a residence the couple were residing. The victim reported that after being bound with duct tape, Winther allowed her to free herself, but continued to physically assault and threatened to conduct lewd sexual acts on her. Winther then allegedly used rope to tie the victim to a chair in the house and continued the assault and threats. The victim reported she was still tied to the chair when he finally left the residence. She was able to free herself and seek help from a neighbor. The victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries and sought medical treatment on her own.
On Tuesday, while officers returned to the scene awaiting detectives to obtain a search warrant, they observed Winther to be walking towards officers. Winther was taken into custody while Detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigation Section and the Juvenile Aid Section continued their investigation.
On Wednesday, police executed a search warrant on the residence resulting in the recovery of items believed to be used in the incident.
After conferring with the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Winther was charged with one count each of kidnapping, (intentionally or knowingly restrained another person with intent to inflict bodily injury upon and/or subject another person to a sexual offense), felony abuse of a family/household member, (causing bodily injury by impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood by applying pressure on the throat or the neck with any part of the body or a ligature and/or blocking the nose and mouth), third-degree assault and first-degree terroristic threatening. His bail was set at $143,000
Winther made his initial appearance Thursday in Kona District Court where, over the objection of the state, Judge Kimberly Tsuchiya granted him supervised release with orders not to contact, threaten, abuse or harass the victim. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 30 in District Court.
The most serious charge, kidnapping, is a Class A felony punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Donovan Kohara at (808) 960-3118; or via email at donovan.kohara@hawaiicounty.gov. They may also contact the Hawai‘i Police Department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311.