Bail Motion Denied after Defendant Is Charged with Torturing His Housemate

By Mianna Muscat

SACRAMENTO – An accused torturer, after his arraignment here in Sacramento County Superior Court this week, is still in jail, stuck with a hefty $1 million bail—and the alleged victim has a broken cheek bone, lingering bloody eyes, and one less housemate.

Assistant Public Defender Teresa Huang argued defendant Danyyil Moskvych, charged with three felonies after allegedly beating and torturing his housemate, should have his bail reduced from $1 million to $200,000.

The crimes allegedly occurred at Moskvych’s Folsom residence, where police claim Moskvych returned home one day to find his belongings gone and his housemate sleeping in Moskych’s room. An argument ensued that elevated to an ugly fist fight.

Moskvych said that the scuffle started as a mutual fight. However, the housemate reported Moskvych as the aggressor, and he suffered gruesome injuries after Moskvych punched him in the face about 30 times, holding him  down with a knee to his throat, and binding the housemate with duct tape.

Moskvych allegedly took the housemate’s wallet and phone, preventing him from calling the police.

However, the housemate managed to loosen his bonds enough to call 911. Officers found the housemate tied to the couch. The police reports also noted that duct tape was clenched around the housemate’s neck and mouth, leaving him gasping for breath.

Moskvych fled the scene to evade capture, said officers, who captured him where he was taken by an Uber driver. The police reports indicated that Moskvych was uncooperative with the police up until his eventual capture.

PD Huang emphasized her client’s  “relatively minimal” criminal background, which includes a reckless driving charge in 2016, and a minor possession of alcohol charge in 2018. She also minimized the severity of the latest charge against Moskvych.

“The victim was found with duct tape around his body, but there were no weapons used, there were no knives used, it was completely a fist fight,” said Attorney Huang. “I don’t believe there was a permanent serious injury that was inflicted—we don’t have the medical records yet,” she argued.

Although there were no medical records revealing permanent injuries, Deputy District Attorney Cody Winchester appeared with an officer’s account that stated otherwise.

“There is quite a bit of an investigation, I’ll have to catch up with Ms. Huang, but last time an officer spoke to the victim he said he had a broken cheek bone,” said Winchester. “His face is still swollen, this was just over a week ago, and he’s got blood in his eyes—they’re still bloody from the incident, so there’s still some lingering effects at this point.”

After this bloody account, Judge Geoffrey Goodman reviewed the June 2020 Emergency Bail Schedule’s torture statute and found it sufficiently aligned with Moskych’s actions.

“It certainly seems that schedule is appropriate in this matter so I will deny the motion to reduce bail,” said Judge Goodman.

Moskych’s felony charges will be revisited in a preliminary hearing on April 7 at 8:30 a.m.

Mianna is a senior at UC Davis, studying English Literature and Japanese. She loves reading, archery, playing the guitar, and singing.


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