LA County Superior Court raises bail to $1.4M for man charged with kidnapping, rape
The Airport Courthouse is pictured. The Los Angeles County Superior Court raised the bail of a man who allegedly trapped two students inside his vehicle in March. (Daily Bruin file photo)
The Los Angeles County Superior Court raised bail to $1.4 million Monday for a man who allegedly kidnapped two UCLA students in March and raped a separate woman last year.
Alexander Schecter, 26, pleaded not guilty to several charges, including kidnapping, robbery and rape by force. He was arrested March 12 following a UCPD investigation after he allegedly trapped two students in his vehicle for several minutes in Westwood.
[Related: Santa Monica man arrested twice by UCPD for alleged kidnapping, rape]
Richard Mejia, the director of emergency communications and information for UCLA’s Office of Campus and Community Safety, told the Daily Bruin in March that UCPD detectives suspected Schecter committed an unrelated rape in October 2025. He was charged for both that crime and for kidnapping a student, according to an April press release from the LA County district attorney.
Judge Cathryn Brougham said in court that the decision to raise bail from $700,000 was made because of the man’s potential threat to the community and ability to pay.
“I genuinely feared for my life,” one of the victims said in court.
Schecter drove the students from Santa Monica to their Westwood apartment March 8, a deputy district attorney said in court.
He then threatened to hurt the students if they exited the vehicle after they told him he couldn’t come inside their home, the deputy district attorney alleged in court. Schecter also drove for about half a mile before the students were able to exit on Gayley Avenue, according to a UCPD press release.
An attorney representing Schecter alleged the students stayed in the car because they were figuring out directions with Schecter, not because he forced them to remain in the car.
Schecter also withheld a woman’s wallet and refused to return it unless she had oral sex with him during the October incident, the deputy district attorney alleged. He added that police later found one of the woman’s cards in Schecter’s home.
If convicted as charged, Schecter will face 37 years to life in state prison, according to the DA’s press release. Attorneys for both the prosecution and defense declined to comment.
A preliminary hearing for Schecter will be held June 8.
