Baby Kidnapper Will Stay in Prison

Press Release

(Woodland, CA) - January 16, 2026 - On January 15, 2026, the California Board of Parole hearings ruled that former Woodland resident, Bruce Young, will remain in prison for August 9, 1982, kidnapping of Woodland baby Brandon Huff who was three months old at the time. Young, now 66, was denied parole for the 19th time following a hearing which was conducted virtually. Young is currently serving a 7-year-to-life sentence at RJ Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. At the time of the crime, Young was a heroin addict who was in debt to his drug dealer, Salvador Sanchez. Young has stated that he owed Sanchez around $3,000. Sanchez told Young that he would forgive the debt if he helped Sanchez kidnap the Huff baby and ask for ransom from the Huff family. Two juvenile girls assisted with the crime.

Young said his role was to confront a caretaker at the Huff family ranch, Jose Carrillo, whom Young struck several times with the butt of a shotgun, fracturing his ribs. The others kidnapped the infant boy and fled in a van. Sanchez later phoned in a ransom demand. Later, as Sanchez drove the van on Interstate 5, Yolo County sheriff's deputies and the CHP pursued them at high speeds. During the chase, at the urging of Sanchez, one of the girls dangled the baby out of the van window. Young later turned himself in to authorities after seeing the dramatic chase unfold on television. Later that day, Young turned himself in to law enforcement. Young pleaded guilty to charges including kidnapping for ransom and received a prison sentence of seven years to life. Sanchez, 22, hanged himself in the Yolo County Jail on the eve of his trial, while the girls, who were 13 and 15, served time at the California Youth Authority until their 21st birthdays.

While in prison, Young has received dozens of write-ups for offenses both serious and administrative in nature. He has also admitted to using heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine over the years, continuing a history of drug abuse that began when he was about 13 years old. For the past two years, Young has been discipline-free in his efforts to be released from prison at some time in the future. He is also an artist and sells his paintings.

In his ruling, Board of Parole Hearings Commissioner Excel Sharrieff stated that "Mr. young does pose an unreasonable risk of public safety." He continued that even though Young "was extremely sincere with his desire to remain clean and sober," he "needs additional programming that addresses his risk factors." Deputy District Attorney, Jonathan Raven, attended the hearing on behalf of the Yolo County District Attorney's Office. Young's next hearing date is scheduled for 2029, but he can request the Board of Parole Hearings to advance the date of his next hearing with the next year.

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