Macomb County prosecutor says experts support a mental insanity finding for the 2024 incidents involving two girls.
MOUNT CLEMENS, MI — Families of two girls targeted in separate attempted kidnappings say they feel blindsided after Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said he would accept an insanity plea from the 23-year-old suspect, with a court appearance set for Wednesday.
Relatives of a now-8-year-old from Sterling Heights and a 15-year-old from Clinton Township argue the deal would spare the man a trial they have awaited since August 2024. Lucido says independent forensic evaluations concluded the defendant was legally insane at the time and is unfit for traditional prosecution. The case sits at a tense moment between public safety and mental health law: an insanity ruling can mean commitment to a secure treatment facility rather than prison, and the timeline for release is controlled by doctors and the court. The families want a fuller public airing of the facts; prosecutors say the evidence points to treatment under state supervision.
Police said the two incidents happened about an hour apart on Aug. 13, 2024. In Clinton Township, a 15-year-old walking along Clinton River Road reported that a man pulled alongside her, tried to force contact and block her path, and then drove off. In Sterling Heights, near the entrance to Clinton River Park North, witnesses said a man lifted a 7-year-old off a bicycle, put her in a car and tried to leave before bystanders intervened, boxing in the vehicle and forcing the assailant to release the child. The girl’s aunt recalled being knocked down in the struggle; her son was injured in the commotion. “Deep down we know she will never be the same,” the girl’s mother said in a television interview, describing lingering fear that returns each time they pass the park.
Lucido, who has faced rising pressure from the families as the case nears a resolution, said he relies on findings from the state’s Center for Forensic Psychiatry and court-appointed clinicians. “This isn’t something I take lightly,” he said in an interview, noting that judges, too, lean on experts when determining criminal responsibility. The suspect, identified by authorities as Endi Bala of Shelby Township, was 23 at the time. The prosecutor said families often worry that a not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity outcome means quick release, but he argued that defendants typically spend longer under psychiatric commitment than they would in prison for comparable offenses. He added that any hospital discharge requires court approval and detailed risk assessments, and that the public would be notified of rulings made in open court.
The law distinguishes between competency to stand trial and sanity at the time of the offense. Evaluators found the defendant did not understand the wrongfulness of his actions during the August incidents, officials said, leading the prosecutor to pursue the insanity route. In practice, a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity triggers a separate process: the court can commit the person to a secure state facility, where doctors craft a treatment plan and regularly report to the judge. Records in similar cases show those reports can run for years, and placements are typically locked and supervised. The families say those assurances feel abstract compared with the fear they carry each time their children leave home. “Everyone knows what needs to be done,” the mother said, calling for consequences that match the trauma her daughter still voices at bedtime.
Witness accounts from the Sterling Heights park describe a tense minute when a driver angled a vehicle to block the suspect’s car, creating a standoff that allowed an adult relative to pull the girl free. Police said the suspect punched a woman during the encounter before fleeing, and medics treated minor injuries at the scene. The earlier Clinton Township interaction ended without physical contact, police said, but investigators tied both attempts to the same suspect through interviews, time stamps and vehicle information. Officers arrested the man later that day. The 7-year-old turned 8 this year and still attends counseling, the family said; the teen in Clinton Township has avoided interviews but allowed relatives to speak generally about anxiety and a changed routine on her walk routes.
Michigan’s insanity standard requires proof that, due to mental illness, a defendant lacked the substantial capacity to appreciate the nature or wrongfulness of their actions. Prosecutors said state forensic experts reached that conclusion after multiple evaluations. Defense attorneys in similar cases often argue that psychiatric treatment is the only path to reduce risk over time, while critics note that victims rarely see the testimonial closure of a jury verdict. In Macomb County, where park trails run through neighborhoods in both Sterling Heights and Clinton Township, the case has amplified debates about how the system monitors people after commitment. Parents at recent community meetings voiced questions about notification, supervision and whether armed officers or clinicians should lead long-term oversight.
Wednesday’s hearing is expected to put a proposed insanity plea on the record before a Macomb County judge. If the court accepts it, the case moves from the criminal docket to a treatment commitment track, with periodic reviews and the possibility of conditional release only if doctors and the court agree. If the judge rejects it, the case could move toward trial on the original attempted kidnapping and related charges. Prosecutors said they will outline the evaluation history, the treatment recommendations and the security level of the facility under consideration. The defense is expected to address the defendant’s diagnosis and current stability under medication. The families plan to attend and offer statements about continuing harm, according to relatives who spoke outside the courthouse.
On Monday and Tuesday, relatives of the Sterling Heights child gathered near the park entrance where the August 2024 incident unfolded, placing small ribbons around a trail sign and speaking with neighbors walking dogs and pushing strollers. The aunt described how a bystander’s quick turn to block the suspect gave them seconds to act. “Within just a second of the guy pulling in to T-bone him, that’s when he decided to let go of her,” she said. Residents who heard the story said they remembered loud shouting, a car door slam and tires chirping as the vehicle sped off before police found it blocks away. A father who frequents the park with his sons said the case has forced new conversations at home about staying close on bikes and calling for help if they feel watched.
As the hearing approaches, the prosecutor maintained that the law leaves little discretion when experts agree. He said the state will push for secure inpatient care and tight controls on movement and communication, with continuing notifications to the court and victims. The families counter that the absence of a jury verdict deprives them of a formal finding of guilt and public accountability. They say they will keep showing up in court and speaking out at every review, whatever the judge decides. Both sides agree on one point: the case is a stress test of how Michigan balances mental illness, due process and community safety in emotionally charged crimes that leave lasting marks on children and neighborhoods.
As of Tuesday evening, the defendant remained in custody ahead of the Wednesday, Dec. 10 hearing in Macomb County. The judge is expected to rule on whether to accept the plea or set further proceedings later this week. The families say they will be in the courtroom for the decision.
Author note: Last updated December 9, 2025.