{"id":5003,"date":"2026-07-21T11:06:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T11:06:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=5003"},"modified":"2026-07-21T11:06:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T11:06:20","slug":"michigan-man-accused-of-trying-to-kidnap-two-girls-allegedly-flipped-off-their-families-in-court-reports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=5003","title":{"rendered":"Michigan man accused of trying to kidnap two girls allegedly flipped off their families in court: reports"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A Michigan man who tried to abduct two girls flipped off at their families while in court \u2014 as he backtracked on a plea deal over the charges, according to reports.<\/p>\n

Read more Exclusive | Elaine Forbes\u2019 wife visits her in custody after ex-Port of San Francisco boss\u2019 bizarre arrest<\/a><\/p>\n

Endi Bala, 25, appeared in a Mount Clemens courthouse over the August 2024 attempted kidnapping \u2013 and it was expected he would plead no contest before suddenly having a change of heart, the Macomb Daily reported.<\/p>\n

Bala, who is originally from Albania and moved to the US when he was a teen, allegedly tried to snatch Olivia and Alexis, who were 7 and 15 at the time,\u00a0within a 45 minute period \u2013 and faces charges of kidnapping and child enticement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He had reportedly agreed to a plea \u2013 but changed his mind before stepping foot in the courtroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t want to enter a plea today?\u201d Matthew Sabaugh, the presiding judge, asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Bala replied, shaking his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe plan was to enter into the pleas today, but unfortunately after our conference in chambers, he has changed his mind for the time being,\u201d Samuel Bennett, his attorney, said, trying to explain Bala\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n

Bala was disruptive throughout the court hearing \u2013 and at one point, his lawyer said, \u201cShut your mouth,\u201d WDIV reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are not going to communicate with anyone in the gallery, sir,\u201d Sabaugh snapped.<\/p>\n

But when Bala was being escorted out of the courtroom, he allegedly made a crude gesture at the girls\u2019 families.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cUnbelievable,\u201d an apoplectic Coryne Childers, Olivia\u2019s mom, said. <\/p>\n

\u201cHow is it OK for him to turn and flick us off, smile at us, yet if we say one thing, we\u2019re threatened, we\u2019re going to get kicked out of court? How is that OK?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the one that did this \u2026 but you can sit there, smile at us, flick us off, and that\u2019s OK?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bala also allegedly made a sarcastic quip to Alecia Swejkowski \u2013 Olivia\u2019s aunt \u2013 as she told the court his next hearing date clashes with her son\u2019s birthday.<\/p>\n

\u201cHappy birthday to your son,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Bala faces a maximum of life in prison after being charged with kidnapping and child enticement.<\/p>\n

He allegedly forced Alexis into his car while she was walking by Clinton River Road in Clinton Township.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe asked if he could walk me home twice and I refused both times, and I started walking off,\u201d Alexis told WXYZ as she recalled her interaction with Bala.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe got out of the car, grabbed my wrist, he said, \u2018I\u2019m going to mess you up.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Brave bystander Paul Billiter, who was doing yard work at the time, rushed to save the girl \u2013 and she was able to escape.<\/p>\n

Read more Envious Albany lawmakers eye giving themselves raises after self-serving NYC Council\u2019s fat pay hikes<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cShe was just screaming like the way a dog would howl. She was terribly frightened,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Bala then allegedly approached Olivia, who was riding her bike with Swejkowski in Sterling Heights,\u00a0before grabbing her and forcing her into his car.<\/p>\n

Bala tried to shove the girl in the passenger side of his car \u2013 but Swejkowski told how she met him \u201cin the middle\u201d where they \u201cfought for the [child\u2019s] life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was punched on top of my head. He had one hand on her and one hand trying to get the wheel,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had one hand on the wheel, trying to get his hand off of her, and we went back and forth.\u201d<\/p>\n

He then tried to drive away \u2013 but another motorist stopped him in his tracks by blocking his car.\u00a0That allowed Swejkowski\u2019s niece to get out of the car.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It was \u201cthe craziest moment of our lives,\u201d Swejkowski said, recalling the moment.<\/p>\n

Bala\u2019s pretrial hearing is set for Aug. 24 and a potential trial date is set for October.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But the families have urged the judge just to set a date. <\/p>\n

Bala was declared competent to stand trial \u2013 despite a psychiatrist previously ruling he was \u201clegally insane\u201d at the time of the alleged crimes.<\/p>\n

Sabaugh had previously rejected a plea of not guilty by insanity.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s just go to trial in October and be done with it because these are just games he is playing,\u201d Alexis\u2019 grandma Lori DeMars said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t get his own way with the judge. \u2026 So he throws a fit like a 2-year-old,\u201d she scoffed.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Bala has been held at a jail for almost two years \u2013 and has since been accused of vandalism.<\/p>\n

He allegedly put feces on a cell phone used by inmates, smashed a tablet bought for him, and flooded his cell.<\/p>\n

DeMars claimed the families were told by Immigration Custom Enforcement that Bala will be deported after he serves any potential prison sentence.<\/p>\n

But Swejkowski has called for him to be imprisoned for life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want him harming any child here. I don\u2019t want him harming any child in Albania,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Read more Family\u2019s heroic dog fights off bear that charged 6-year-old boy: video<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Michigan man who tried to abduct two girls flipped off at their families while in court — as he backtracked on a plea deal over the charges, according to reports.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5002,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-news"],"yoast_head":"\nMichigan man accused of trying to kidnap two girls allegedly flipped off their families in court: reports - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=5003\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Michigan man accused of trying to kidnap two girls allegedly flipped off their families in court: reports - 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