Macomb County kidnapping suspect denied bond in Sterling Heights court
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (FOX 2) - The man arrested for multiple kidnapping attempts in Macomb County was arraigned in two separate courts Thursday after he tried abducting multiple people earlier this week.
Endi Bala, 23, of Shelby Township, was denied bond in Sterling Heights court on charges of attempted kidnapping, reckless driving, and assault and battery.
Speaking through his attorney, Bala waived a formal reading of the charges and stood mute, entering a plea of not guilty. His defense asked for a $50,000 bond due to a separate earlier arraignment - arguing it would be redundant to give him another one.
At the end of his arraignment, Bala tried asking the judge a question before his attorney told him to wait. The feed was cut shortly after.
Earlier Thursday, Bala was given a $2 million bond in Clinton Township, the Sterling Heights prosecutor said.
His next appearance in Sterling Heights will be a probable cause conference on Aug. 28.
There are two cases against Bala, each stemming from incidents that happened about an hour apart on Tuesday. The first unfolded on Clinton River Road in Clinton Township when he tried to abduct a 15-year-old girl. A witness intervened and helped thwart the attempt.
Endi Bala, 23, of Shelby Township in court for his arraignment.
Later in the afternoon, Bala allegedly tried abducting a 7-year-old girl who was riding her bike in North Clinton River Park with family members. During the assault, the child's aunt got into the suspect's car and held onto the steering wheel.
The child's cousin, an 8-year-old boy, was also at the park. He tried to help save her by standing with his bike in front of the suspect's car, however, he was ran over in the process.
That's when a volunteer with Citizens on Patrol in Sterling Heights jumped in and rescued the girl, holding Bala until police arrived.
Scott Vanluven told FOX 2 nothing like that has ever happened in his 19 years of volunteering.
The 7-year-old girl's step-grandmother, Andrea Childers, attended the suspect's arraignment on Thursday.
"She could’ve been gone forever. We would’ve never ever seen her again," Childers told FOX 2. "My grandson could’ve been killed by getting ran over. What would they have done to her?"
The 8-year-old boy is still in pain as he recovers from a leg injury, his family said.
Family of nearly abducted child: 'She’s afraid she’s going to get taken again'
A 7-year-old who was the victim of an attempted kidnapping in Sterling Heights this week. According to her family, "she wants to put on glasses so she doesn’t look like her normal self, because she’s afraid she’s going to get taken again."
Childers said she is grateful that Vanluven stopped his vehicle and took action when he witnessed the attempted kidnapping.
"He didn’t just continue to drive by like everybody else did," she said. "Because that was devastating – seeing the video and seeing how many cars drove past, and nobody stopped."
The child is still shaken up by the incident, according to her step-grandmother. The road to recovery will be a long one.
"She wants to put on glasses so she doesn’t look like her normal self, because she’s afraid she’s going to get taken again," Childers said.
'Parent's worst nightmare': Sterling Heights volunteer saves girl from abduction
"Never in the 19 years have I seen anything like this, at least happen in front of my face," said Scott Vanluven, a volunteer with Citizens on Patrol in Sterling Heights.