Crime How 2 Good Samaritans Rescued an Abducted Teen When They 'Ripped Her Away' from Alleged Captor at Restaurant Mikella Debina's alleged captor, Duncan Mahi, is charged with kidnapping, sex assault, terroristic threatening, robbery and meth trafficking By Chris Harris Chris Harris Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. An award-winning journalist who has worked for Rolling Stone and MTV News, Chris enjoys prog rock, cycling, Marvel movies, IPAs, and roller coasters. People Editorial Guidelines Published on September 20, 2022 01:01PM EDT A Hawaii teen who police say was abducted at knifepoint Friday was rescued the very next day by a man and a woman who recognized her and stepped in to help. KHON-TV, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Hawaii News Now all reported on Saturday's rescue of Mikella Debina, 15. Debina and her boyfriend were on a secluded beach near Anaehoomalu Bay the previous afternoon when a man with a knife ordered her to tie him up and blindfold him, according to police. The man then left the beach with the girl, according to the reports. Local news outlets reporting on Debina's alleged kidnapping ran photos of the abducted teen, and a MAILE AMBER Alert was issued. On Saturday, Debina and her alleged captor walked into Cafe Pesto in Hilo seeking a table, and Bridge Hartman, the restaurant host, knew something was amiss. When Debina, who was dressed in men's clothing, started to fight with the man, it clicked for Hartman. "I yelled out, 'That's the girl. That's the Amber Alert girl,'" he recalled. Mikella DeBina. Facebook Kori Takaki, who was having lunch at the restaurant, also sprung into action. Along with Hartman, she helped rush Debina to the back of the restaurant and away from the suspect, 52-year-old Duncan Mahi. Meanwhile, someone had already called 911, and Hartman urged restaurant patrons nearby to grab onto Mahi as he and Takaki moved the girl to safety. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Mikella's mother, Cher Angelel, hailed the pair as "heroes," noting Hartman and Takaki "ripped her away" from Mahi. Police arrived and arrested Mahi, charging him with two counts of kidnapping, and single counts of first-degree sex assault, terroristic threatening, robbery, and meth trafficking. It was unclear Tuesday if he had entered pleas to the charges or had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. Mahi is being held on $2 million bail.