KAHULUI >> A 30-year-old man has been charged after he allegedly assaulted a female security officer at Maui Mall in Kahului.

Alex Hand has been charged with first-degree assault and is being held in lieu of $20,000 bail.

At about 9:30 p.m. Monday, police said, the 41-year-old security officer responded to a call from Wendy’s fast-food restaurant to remove an unidentified male from the property. When the officer arrived, Hand refused to leave and a scuffle ensued.

Police said Hand allegedly punched and bit the security officer, causing serious injury. He fled before police arrived.

On Wednesday police received a call from the victim, who reported seeing Hand walking along a roadway in Kahului. Police responded and detained him.

Fire damages Kahala home

Firefighters responded Thursday night to a two-alarm fire at a home in Kahala.

Nine units with 35 firefighters responded to the blaze at a two-story home at 4050 Iwalani Place at approximately 11:06 p.m. When firefighters arrived, they observed smoke and flames emerging from the front of the home.

Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. David Jenkins said the structure was unoccupied at the time of the fire because of renovation work.

Firefighters brought the fire under control at 11:15 p.m. and extinguished it just after 12:40 a.m. Friday.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Damage to the structure and its contents is estimated at $150,000.