By Nick Domenici
SACRAMENTO – A young man in his mid-twenties here in Sacramento County Superior Court pleaded guilty and no contest to serious felonies, and is facing just-as-serious time in prison.
Alec Balda-Schuiling is facing the possibility of serving a maximum of 10 years at California State Prison, Sacramento, in Represa. He is charged with possessing three lethal firearms and kidnapping a female.
From a series of events over a three-day span, the defendant has pleaded “no contest” or “guilty” to the following charges:
(1) Penal Code section 207(a) Kidnapping—makes it illegal to take someone by means of force or fear.
(2) Penal Code section 30605(a) Any person who possesses an assault rifle shall be punished by imprisonment. Gun possessed was a AR-15.
(3) Penal Code section 30605(a) Any person who possesses an assault rifle shall be punished by imprisonment. Gun possessed was TEC-9.
(4) Penal Code section 30605(a) Any person who possesses an assault rifle shall be punished by imprisonment. Gun possessed was a SKS (Soviet semi-automatic carbine chambered).
According to the complaint read aloud by Deputy District Attorney Andrea Morris before Court Commissioner Ken Brody, the crimes took place over three days, from September 16 to September 19, 2019.
It was alleged that Balda-Schuiling engaged in a verbal altercation with his roommate and his roommate’s girlfriend. The roommate left the residence for a portion of the day on September 16, but the girlfriend had decided to stay at the residence after the conclusion of the confrontation.
Balda-Schuiling remained furious even hours after the argument, and decided to kidnap the girlfriend. A couple of other co-defendants who arrived at the scene restrained the girlfriend with plastic zip ties placed on the feet and wrists.
They then transported the victim to a number of hotels over the next couple day in the Elk Grove area. At some point on September 19, 2019, the victim was able to escape a hotel room, where local police officers were contacted and arrived on the scene.
The Elk Grove Police Department discovered three assault rifles belonging to the defendant and his accomplices. They were in possession of an AR-15, TEC-9, and a SKS.
Under the Three Strikes Sentencing Law in California, the alleged crimes committed would be considered a violation because the acts committed are violent felonies. If found guilty, Balda-Schuiling will have to serve 85 percent of his prison term of 10 years.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 28, 2020, at 8:30 a.m. in Department 61.
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