By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

What police believed was a hostage situation at Nuuanu Avenue ended when a woman and a man emerged unharmed from an apartment at about 10:20 a.m. yesterday.

Officers with the police Specialized Services Division train their weapons at a Nuuanu apartment building where it was believed a man was holding someone hostage. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

Police had earlier surrounded the two-story Nuuanu Garden apartments at 1719 Nuuanu Ave. after police received a call from that building at about 6:29 a.m. yesterday morning. Police said the woman caller whispered that she couldn’t talk and the dispatcher sensed fear in her voice, which led police to believe that something was wrong at the apartment.

Police arrived at the apartment at about 6:42 a.m., identified themselves and knocked on the door, but got no answer, police said. They also tried to make contact with a bullhorn and over the phone for an hour to an hour and a half, but still got no answer, police said.

The woman was identified as Marilyn Francis, 35, who rented a two-bedroom apartment in the two-story apartment complex. The man was not immediately identified, but he was not Frank Chin, whom police believed might have been in the apartment.

Chin had been seen in the area at about 4 a.m. and was believed to have either a .22 caliber gun or rifle, police said. But Chin was never in the apartment yesterday morning, police said.

According to police, Chin has three outstanding traffic warrants.

Neighbors said Chin was Francis’ boyfriend.

Francis said she didn’t know where Chin was. Asked why she didn’t answer the officers, she said she had been sleeping and had just woken up.

Police said the apartment complex was evacuated and SWAT investigators are on the scene. Officials at Cathedral School across the street at 1728 Nuuanu Ave., where there are about 40 students on campus, said the school was in lockdown.

There were no traffic disruptions on Nuuanu.