Court Briefs

Elias Perez, 27, also pleaded no contest to assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of great bodily injury and the special allegation of using a knife. He was immediately sentenced to 15 years in prison with credit for three years served, including time in the state hospital. He faced a life sentence if convicted by a jury of two counts of first-degree murder.

Perez was scheduled to finally start trial yesterday but took a plea bargain at the last minute.

Redwood City restaurant patrons helped catch Perez after the second attack and held him until he could be arrested. A small group chased Perez four blocks from the Tacos El Camino restaurant in Redwood City where he allegedly stabbed then 46-year-old Antonio Reyes in the upper chest. Perez drove to Redwood City after stabbing Terence Tyndall in the side in their Millbrae apartment. After getting in an argument, Perez grabbed a knife from the dishwasher and stabbed the then 52-year-old man in the side.

Bail remains for mom

accused of child theft

A defense attorney for the Moss Beach woman accused of stealing her 11-year-old daughter and the family pets unsuccessfully asked yesterday for her client to be released from jail without bail.

A judge disagreed that the crimes and possible mental state of Alana Freiberg, 57, warranted release on her own recognizance. She remains in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail and did not attend her own court hearing yesterday.

Freiberg raised eyebrows at the first court appearance following her arrest by claiming to be the child she is accused of kidnapping. She was ordered to undergo evaluation by jail house doctors but never did. She has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges. Her defense attorney, Shauna Huffman, said during her bail reduction request last week that Freiberg is "not a harm to society."

If convicted, she faces one year in jail.

Freiberg was arrested by sheriff's deputies in Los Angeles three weeks after taking off with her daughter and the family's dog and cat Aug. 4. Freiberg and the girl were dirty and hungry at the time of the arrest. They reportedly had traveled around the state and were out of money. Robert Freiberg did not report his family missing until nearly a week after their disappearance because he thought the disappearance was linked to marital problems.