Gonzales man sentenced for 3 incidents involving 3 different victims

Monterey County District Attorney Dean D. Flippo announced on Friday, May 18 that on Thursday, May 17, Judge Carrie Panetta sentenced 24-year-old Ricardo Balli of Gonzales, to a term of 6 years and 8 months in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. On October 25 of 2017, a jury found Balli guilty of 5 felony charges including battery causing serious bodily injury, assault by means likely to cause great bodily injury, domestic violence, and vandalism for 3 incidents involving 3 different female victims. Additionally, the jury found true a special allegation that Balli personally inflicted great bodily injury to 1 of the victims. During the October trial, all 3 victims testified. The first victim, who was a stranger to Balli, was struck by him at the King City Fairgrounds in May of 2016 with such force, she lost consciousness. She was left with a concussion, injuries that required 13 stitches and chipped teeth. Balli attacked the second victim, who was his girlfriend at the time, in September of 2016 in the parking lot of the Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital when she was 3 months pregnant. She was left with numerous bruises to her face and chest. Balli battered the third victim, his current girlfriend, in the parking lot of the Pizza Factory in Salinas in November of 2016. At the sentencing hearing, the victim of the assault that occurred at the King City Fairgrounds bravely made a statement and explained the trauma she suffered as a result of Balli’s conduct. A restraining order was granted prohibiting him from contacting the second victim, his former girlfriend, for a period of 10 years.  The case was investigated by Officer Ryan Kenedy of the King City Police Department and Officers Anthony Yates, Guadalupe Gonzalez, Jared Dominici, and Edgar Garcia of the Salinas Police Department.