New Zealand TikTok creator Darren Maheno arrested in US on attempted murder charge
- Darren Maheno’s videos racked up millions of views on the social media platform before he abruptly deactivated his account and vanished
- He has pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles to domestic violence and the attempted murder of his partner, as well as making illegal threats
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that Darren John Maheno, 45 and originally from Invercargill, has been in custody for the past two weeks.
Officers were called to an address in Woodland Hills, a northwestern suburb in the Los Angeles metro area, for an alleged domestic violence incident around 4.15am on September 6.
During an arraignment hearing two days later, Maheno pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, domestic violence and illegal threats.
He has remained behind bars since his arrest, with his bail set at US$1.03 million.
Attempted murder carries a maximum punishment in California of life in prison with the possibility of parole if it is found to be wilful, deliberate and premeditated. It is punishable by up to nine years’ prison if not found to be wilful, deliberate or premeditated.
Maheno had more than 165,000 followers on TikTok and his videos had racked up 2.8 million likes before he deactivated his account last year.
