A Palo Alto man who assaulted a 13-year-old boy with a baseball bat after stealing mail and smashing mailboxes in Portola Valley last year was sentenced to a year in jail on Friday, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
Alexander Stefan Dombovic, 21, was arrested April 21, 2013, after assaulting the boy and fleeing the scene in his SUV. Sheriff's deputies saw Dombovic driving toward them on the wrong side of the road. A chase ensued and Dombovic lost control of his vehicle and drove into a ravine.
As deputies approached, Dombovic, who is Chechen, got out of his car and yelled "This has nothing to do with Boston" in regards to the bombing of the Boston Marathon where the suspects in that case were Chechen.
Deputies discovered 129 pieces of stolen mail in Dombovic's car and discovered that five mail boxes in the area had been smashed and the mail stolen from them.
The incident that led to his arrest unfolded around 10:10 p.m. when the 13-year-old boy had been reading in his room while his parents were asleep. He heard someone drive into his driveway and he went down to check it out.
Once outside, he saw Dombovic rummaging through his father's SUV and asked Dombovic what he was up to. Dombovic charged the boy and struck him on the shoulder with a baseball bat, Wagstaffe said. Dombovic then fled the scene in his SUV and ran into the deputies.
The boy sustained only minor injuries in the assault.
Dombovic pleaded no contest in December to a felony assault charge and felony auto burglary on condition of a maximum sentence of two years in state prison.
The judge in the case sentenced Dombovic on Friday to one year in county jail, three years supervised probation and over $3,000 in fines, fees and restitution, Wagstaffe said.
He must abstain from and be tested for alcohol and will not be allowed to be in possession of any deadly weapon or ammunition.
Dombovic remains out of custody on $50,000 bail and will begin his sentence June 21 with credit for nine days served.
