A man who is originally from Mississippi has been arrested in Hawaii after he was accused of abuse, kidnapping and sex assault.
Jaiden Becerra was arrested and charged with kidnapping and abuse charges in connection to incidents that allegedly took place between January 22 and January 29, according to Hawaii News Now.
He has been accused of holding a woman against her will at his home in Mountain View, Hawaii. Additionally, Becerra, 25, allegedly hit the victim’s 1-year-old son during the time the woman was held hostage.
It is not currently clear how Becerra came into contact with the victim or if they even knew each other prior to the alleged kidnapping and abuse.
Becerra was arrested on January 29 and was originally given bail that was set at $178,000, according to KPUA.
Prosecutors brought the case before a Hilo grand jury on February 4, where they requested that Becerra not be given bail. In addition to having the request approved, officials also shared the three additional counts of sexual assault against that Becerra is now facing that are included in the indictment.
Becerra has since been charged with kidnapping, three counts of felony abuse of a family or household member, two counts of felony abuse (by impeding the normal breathing or circulation of blood by applying pressure on the throat or neck), felony abuse (by impeding the normal breathing or circulation of blood by blocking the nose and mouth), misdemeanor abuse (of a minor), petty misdemeanor abuse and three counts of sexual assault in the second degree.
He is next scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, February 10.
Becerra is currently being held at the Hawaii Community Correctional Center, where he will stay until his jury trial, which is set to begin on June 22.
KITV reported that Becerra pleaded not guilty to his criminal charges when he appeared in Hilo Circuit Court on the afternoon of February 6. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kirsten Selvig, according to KPUA. Meanwhile, legal representation for Becerra has not been publicly announced.
The Hawaii Police Department did not immediately respond to Luxury Handbag Shopping’s request for comment regarding updates in the case.
The alleged victim filed a temporary restraining order against Becerra on February 2 and the request was granted, according to Prism News.
The most serious offense that Becerra is facing is kidnapping, which is a Class A felony offense that is punishable by up to 20 years in prison if he is found guilty. Meanwhile, the second-degree sex assault charges are Class B felonies and are punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The felony abuse charge that Becerra is facing is a Class C felony offense, which carries a penalty of serving up to five years in prison or five years of probation with up to twelve months in jail.
The investigation into the allegations remains ongoing as prosecutors continue to build their case against Becerra.
