WOODLAND, Calif. – At an arraignment hearing on June 24, 2025, in Yolo County Superior Court, the accused faced charges of kidnapping, witness intimidation and obstructing or resisting a police officer.
Deputy Public Defender Lisa Lance emphasized the accused is the sole provider for their family, currently living on workers’ compensation. The defense advocated for the accused to receive supervised own recognizance (SOR) release based on these mitigating circumstances.
Deputy District Attorney Aimee McLeod emphasized the inherent public safety risks.
The accused, who is not a resident of Yolo County, was arrested in April 2025 after a report of kidnapping. The victim initially consented to accompany the accused in the passenger seat of the accused’s car, but grew uncomfortable when the accused began smoking crack cocaine in the driver’s seat.
Already several counties away from where they started the drive, the victim demanded to be let out of the vehicle. According to McLeod, the accused allegedly refused, stating they would “crash the car before [they] ever [let] her out,” insisting that they were going to take her to the mountains and told her not to call the police.
Eventually, the victim jumped from the moving car and flagged down another motorist on the highway for help. The good Samaritan helped her contact law enforcement.
“At this stage, we don’t have all the facts,” Lance stated, urging the court to consider alternatives to incarceration, such as supervised release with electronic monitoring or check-ins. The defense argued for a reduction to $10,000, emphasizing the accused’s role as sole provider to his family and the absence of local criminal ties.
Lance also stressed that the accused posed no flight risk and had no history of violent offenses in Yolo County.
McLeod stated the accused’s alleged disregard for the victim’s safety and the ongoing criminal protective order pose a public safety concern. The prosecution also referenced the accused’s alleged attempt to dissuade the victim from reporting the incident, a charge that carries additional weight under California’s witness intimidation laws.
Judge Stephen Mock denied the defense’s SOR request, setting bail at $50,000, citing significant public safety concerns and the defendant’s lack of local ties.
At the victim’s request, the judge issued a separate no-harassment order, as the incident allegedly began with harassment. The defense emphasized the unemployed defendant’s financial hardship, noting they rely solely on workers’ compensation that cannot be used for bail—potentially preventing pretrial release and impacting dependent family members.
The case was transferred to Judge Paul Richardson, with a bail review hearing scheduled for June 27, 2025.
