Man accused in San Francisco kidnapping, deadly crash ordered to stand trial

Police and bystanders drag 42-year-old Michael Brown from a burning car in Emeryville on June 10. Police and bystanders drag 42-year-old Michael Brown from a burning car in Emeryville on June 10. Photo: Courtesy: Barbara Llarena Photo: Courtesy: Barbara Llarena Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Man accused in San Francisco kidnapping, deadly crash ordered to stand trial 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

A man accused in a violent San Francisco kidnapping that led to a fiery and fatal crash in Emeryville was ordered to stand trial on several charges, including murder, a judge ruled Thursday.

Michael Brown, 42, is facing charges including kidnapping, conspiracy, assault, pimping and murder. A second defendant accused of assisting in the abduction, 26-year-old Timothy Attaway, was held to answer for a kidnapping charge.

Judge Samuel Stevens’ decision comes after a dramatic preliminary hearing last month in which the kidnapping victim testified over two days about the June 10 ordeal.

The victim, a sex worker called “Miss B” to protect her identity, described an abusive relationship with Brown, who she said at first acted like her boyfriend and later turned into her violent pimp.

When she cut off the relationship and began seeing another man who began acting as her pimp, Brown set her up, prosecutors said.

“Miss B” said she was lured to San Francisco’s Tenderloin on her birthday by Brown’s associate, 40-year-old Daphne “Pink” Bailey, who promised they would celebrate with cupcakes and cocaine.

When the two met on Leavenworth Street, Brown sneaked up from behind, and punched “Miss B” in the face, she said. He and Attaway then heaved her into the trunk of a nearby Dodge Challenger before Attaway walked off and Bailey got in the passenger seat, prosecutors said.

The attack was captured on a nearby security camera and played in court.

“Miss B” later found an emergency escape latch and got out of the trunk as witnesses followed the car calling 911 as it sped through city streets, prosecutors said.

When the Dodge headed over the Bay Bridge a few minutes later, a San Francisco police officer recognized the vehicle and began to follow it. That’s when the driver gunned it onto the West MacArthur Boulevard off-ramp and slammed into a pole on Peralta Street.

In harrowing footage captured on the officer’s body camera, bystanders are seen pulling Brown from the crumpled wreckage that had caught fire. The officer and others at the scene could not get Bailey out of the passenger’s seat before fire overtook the car.

Bailey was pronounced dead at the scene.

Stevens on Thursday ordered Brown to be held to answer for second-degree murder in Bailey’s death under the legal standard of implied malice. Prosecutors have also argued that the case is a first-degree murder under California’s felony murder rule, which classifies deaths that happen during the commission of certain felonies as murders.

Both defendants are being held without bail in San Francisco Jail.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky