Update: Maui man arrested for kidnapping after allegedly stealing an occupied car

Update: Sept. 29, 2022

As of Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, Rocky Hermanns-Raymond was charged with:

• First degree burglary
• Kidnapping
• Second degree attempted theft
• Third degree theft
• Fourth degree theft
• Two counts of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle
• Three counts of collision involving damages to a vehicle
• Theft of credit card
• Fraudulent use of credit card
• Contempt of court
• Resisting arrest
• Second degree assault against a police officer
• First degree resisting orders to stop a motor vehicle
• Reckless driving
• Driving without a license

Hermanns-Raymond remains in police custody with bail set at $105,250.

Original post:

A Lahaina man was arrested on kidnapping charges after he allegedly entered an occupied vehicle that was running and unlocked in the parking lot of the Kahului Shopping Center.

A 57-year-old Kahului woman was sitting in the third row of the 2020 Nissan Armada, when the man entered the vehicle and drove off, according to police reports.

The incident occurred at around 11:50 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022 at the shopping center located at 65 West Kaʻahumanu Avenue in Kahului.

Despite the victim’s pleas to be let out, the male, later identified as 31-year-old Rocky Hermanns-Raymond of Lahaina, continued to drive through Kahului, according to police reports.  

Police say Hermanns–Raymond eventually stopped on West Wākea Avenue near Niʻihau Street in Kahului. “As the victim began to exit the vehicle, Hermanns-Raymond pushed the victim, demanding her bag and phone. The victim fled on foot to a nearby residence with her belongings as Hermanns-Raymond followed for a short distance in the vehicle before driving off in an unknown direction,” according to a department press release.

The victim was treated and released on scene by Medic personnel.

At approximately 12:52 p.m., in response to the vehicle’s GPS, checks for Hermanns-Raymond were conducted in the Launiupoko and Olowalu areas.  

The vehicle was subsequently located on Luawai Street in Lahaina, where officers noticed the presence of another occupant moving within the vehicle, which they could not identify.  Upon being contacted, police say Hermanns-Raymond refused commands to stop, at which point a vehicle pursuit occurred through Lahaina and past Nākālele Point, resulting in two motor vehicle accidents.  One accident occurred when Hermanns-Raymond struck the bridge at Honolua Bay, and the other occurred on Kahekili Highway near mile marker 14.5 when Hermanns-Raymond struck another vehicle, according to police.

Near mile marker 11, Hermanns-Raymond failed to negotiate a turn, causing the vehicle to go off the roadway, colliding into the bushes and a metal pipe.  As the vehicle came to a stop, Hermanns-Raymond exited via the driver’s door window and went over the side of the cliff.

Officers located the other vehicle occupant, which was revealed to be a dog. The dog was later released into the Maui Humane Society’s custody.

Officers conducted checks for Hermanns-Raymond on foot, but due to the area’s inaccessibility, Air 1 was brought in to assist with the search.   Air 1 personnel made contact with Hermanns-Raymond approximately 100-200 feet down from Kahekili Highway, but say he refused to come out of the bush area or get into the helicopter.  Special Response Team members were then flown down into the area but were unable to locate the man’s exact location.   Eventually, due to darkness setting in, the search was called off for the night.

At first light on Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, SRT members returned to the area where Hermanns-Raymond was last known to have been but were unable to locate him. At approximately 6:12 a.m., an unknown male fitting Hermanns-Raymond’s description was observed stealing a 1996 Ford Ranger from a Waiheʻe residence, fleeing southbound on Kahekili Highway.

On Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, at approximately 6:09 a.m., officers located Hermanns-Raymond near the intersection of Vineyard and North Market Streets in Wailuku.  Police say as officers approached Hermanns-Raymond, “he attempted to flee on foot, and as officers tried to detain him, Hermanns-Raymond attempted to punch an officer in the face.”  The officer avoided the strike and eventually gained compliance from Hermanns-Raymond, according to department reports.   

Hermanns-Raymond sustained a small laceration due to the incident but refused medical treatment when medics responded to the scene. No other injuries were reported.

Hermanns-Raymond was taken into police custody without incident and placed under arrest for:

• One count kidnapping
• One count second degree robbery
• One count third degree theft
• One count first degree unauthorized control of propelled vehicle
• One count resisting arrest
• One count first degree resisting an order to stop a motor vehicle
• One count of reckless driving
• One count of driving without a driver’s license
• Three counts of collisions involving damage to a vehicle or property

The investigation is ongoing.