Man Appears With Wife but Is Held for Kidnaping

A man suspected of kidnaping his estranged wife from her Santa Monica office was arrested Wednesday after he walked into the local police station arm and arm with the woman, officers said.

Michael Howie, 30, was booked for investigation of kidnaping and felony spousal abuse and held in lieu of $500,000 bail. Accompanied by two unidentified men, Howie allegedly went to the offices of Family Media on Ocean Park Boulevard on Tuesday, grabbed Mari Payne, 30, and left with her.

After the couple was separated at the station Wednesday, Payne told officers she had been kidnaped, but her husband had told her to say she had accompanied him voluntarily, police said, adding that the woman had “bruises and cuts.”