Two bystanders in Michigan intervened in separate attempted kidnappings of two girls by the same man in broad daylight. The incidents occurred just an hour apart on a Tuesday afternoon. In the first incident, Endi Bala, 23, allegedly tried to force a 15-year-old girl into his car in Clinton Township. A bystander, Paul Billiter, who was doing yard work nearby, physically intervened and stopped the kidnapping attempt. The girl was able to escape and alert others who called 911. Bala fled the scene but was later arrested after attempting to kidnap another girl in Sterling Heights.
In the second incident, which occurred at about 2:30 p.m. in Sterling Heights, Bala allegedly grabbed a 7-year-old girl off her bike near the entrance of a park. The girl’s aunt, Alecia Swejkoski, realized what was happening and began screaming for her niece to run. Swejkoski and Bala both ran towards the car, where Bala was trying to force the girl into the passenger side from the driver’s seat. A driver in another car blocked Bala’s vehicle, allowing the girl to escape. The girl’s mother, Coryne Childers, described it as a traumatic experience for her daughter, who will never be the same after the incident.
Bala was charged with kidnapping, reckless driving, assault, and battery in connection with the Sterling Heights incident. In connection with the Clinton Township incident, he was charged with attempted unlawful imprisonment and assault and battery. He was arraigned on both incidents and a court-appointed attorney was requested for the Sterling Heights case. His bond was set at $2 million for the Clinton Township charges, and he was denied bond and remanded to the Macomb County Jail in connection with the Sterling Heights incident.
Following the incidents, Bala was ordered by a Clinton Township District Court magistrate to undergo a mental health evaluation. Court documents revealed that Bala had received a petition for hospitalization due to mental illness in April 2023, which was dismissed, and he was discharged three days later. A lawyer for Bala in the Clinton Township case did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The bystanders who intervened in the kidnapping attempts were praised for their quick actions that prevented the girls from being taken by the suspect. The community expressed gratitude for their bravery and vigilance in protecting the children.
