SACRAMENTO — For months, federal authorities have held a Sacramento County man in jail pending extradition to Poland, where he faces charges of killing a man in 2007, when he was 16, court records show.
Dawid Wozniak, 30 was arrested Feb. 22 by the U.S. Marshals in Sacramento County and has been held in federal custody ever since, records show. He is being held locally on charges of being a fugitive, but in Poland he is wanted on an arrest warrant for one count of grievous bodily harm resulting in death.
The European nation has moved to try Wozniak as an adult, despite the fact he was 16 when the alleged offense occurred. Authorities say he and a group of friends were drinking heavily in Grudusk, Poland, on Dec. 24, 2007, when they started a fight with another group. A passer-by, Andrzej Malinowski, asked Wozniak and the others what they were doing, and they allegedly punched, kicked, and beat Malinowski with a stick.
Malinowski died one week later on New Year’s Day 2008. Wozniak was charged the following year. A co-defendant was subsequently arrested and received a three-year prison term for his role in the attack.
Wozniak’s attorney has filed a sealed motion to release him from jail while the extradition matter is pending. Prosecutors have opposed the motion, arguing that Wozniak is a flight risk because he was aware of pending criminal charges when he fled Poland for the United States.
A judge is set to issue a ruling on Friday. Meanwhile, the greater issue of Wozniak’s potential extradition is set to be decided on June 23, court records show.
Source: www.mercurynews.com