Endi Balla, an Albanian living in Shelby Township, Michigan, changed his mind at the last minute and refused to plead guilty to charges related to the attempted kidnapping of two underage girls. His decision resulted in another delay in the court proceedings.
He is accused of attempting to kidnap a 15-year-old girl in Clinton Township and a 7-year-old girl in Sterling Heights in August 2024.
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Defense attorney Sam Bennet, according to US media reports, said his client had accepted the plea agreement last week but withdrew from it shortly before the hearing began.
When the judge asked him in court whether he wanted to plead guilty, Balla gave only a brief response: “No.” Following his rejection of the agreement, the case will now proceed to trial.
Balla’s court appearance was also marked by tension. Local US media reported that he initially tried to communicate with people in the courtroom before giving the middle finger to the families of the two minors. His actions prompted a reaction, forcing his attorney and the judge to intervene to restore order.
For several months, the proceedings against him have included discussions about his mental state. At one stage of the case, the prosecution considered raising a claim of mental incompetence, but earlier this year Balla was found competent to stand trial.
The repeated delays have caused fatigue and frustration among the families of the two underage girls, who have called for the case to be concluded as quickly as possible.
Endi Balla’s next preliminary hearing has been scheduled for August 24. Unless a new agreement is reached, his trial is expected to begin in October.
