A 22-year-old man, identified as Fortune Zenn Lee Marchan, was arrested for kidnapping and robbery on Thursday, April 3. Allegedly, Marchan trapped a 78-year-old woman inside her vehicle for several days, forcing her to make bank withdrawals.
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According to a Honolulu Police Department press release, Marchan, who was not named in the document but identified as an "acquaintance," allegedly restrained the 78-year-old for "approximately 3 or 4 days," starting on Sunday, March 30. Marchan then is accused of bringing the woman to a local bank, telling her to withdraw money. However, the woman informed bank employees who, in turn, contacted authorities. Marchan was eventually arrested after being identified.
The press release states that Fortune Zenn Lee Marchan was charged with first-degree robbery. He is currently being held on a $30,000 bail. Prosecutors did not end up charging Marchan with kidnapping.
While the Honolulu Police Department did not identify Marchan, WBZ NewsRadio 1030 named him. Online arrest logs reviewed by PEOPLE show that Marchan was, in fact, arrested on Thursday, April 3, for kidnapping and robbery. Police continue to investigate the incident.
The Bank of Hawaii shared a statement with multiple outlets, including PEOPLE and KITV, addressing the incident.
"Police detained a suspect outside of the Kaneohe Branch," the statement reads. "While we are unable to comment on this active criminal investigation, Bank of Hawaii is pleased to report that our employees and customers are safe following the incident, and the branch remains open to service customers. We are cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation."
Elderly Kidnapping
In a related case, last year, two suspects allegedly kidnapped a multitude of elderly victims to rob them of their belongings and money. According to CBS News, the suspects allegedly posed as church members, engaging in conversation with the elderly victims. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the suspects then forced them into a grey Ford Focus while threatening them with physical force or even at gunpoint.
After the suspects allegedly managed to kidnap the elderly victims, they would drive them to another location. Then, they would further threaten them to rob them of their jewelry or money. Both suspects were arrested in November 2024, with the kidnappings reportedly taking place from June to November. It was reported at the time that there were further potential victims yet to be identified.
