2 suspects face August trial in kidnapping of man found dead near Kailua trail
COURTESY HPD
Keone Labatad
COURTESY HPD
Stacey Maae, aka Stacey N. Costales
COURTESY HPD
A pair of hunters discovered the body of a man, later identified as Benjamin Awong, 38, near Aleka Place and Old Kalanianaole Road in Kailua in May.
A judge Monday scheduled an August trial for two people who pleaded not guilty to kidnapping charges in Circuit Court involving a 38-year-old man whose body was found in Kailua.
Keone Labatad, 38, and Stacey Maae, 34, also known as Stacey Costales, appeared together before Judge Melanie May via closed circuit video link from the Oahu Community Correctional Center after a grand jury indicted them last week with kidnapping Benjamin Awong.
Hunters found Awong’s body on May 15 off a trail in Kailua. The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office determined he died from traumatic injuries to his head.
No one has been charged with Awong’s murder.
May confirmed Labatad’s bail at $1 million and Maae’s bail at $500,000.
According to deputy prosecutor Chelsea Okamoto, Labatad struck Awong in the face and jaw with a handgun at a Kaneohe home on May 10.
Maae allegedly assisted in securing Awong’s hands behind his back with zip ties and tape as well as wrap zip ties and tape around Awong’s neck.
A witness saw Labatad cleaning blood off the floor at the home the next day, prosecutors said.
