A Richmond man, Algernon Steen, who was previously out on bail for charges related to human trafficking of a minor, is now back in custody facing gun charges. The arrest came after a witness reported seeing Steen allegedly beating a woman while in possession of a firearm. Steen, 31, has been charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and two counts of carrying a concealed weapon, all of which are felonies.
The incident occurred on February 28, when a 911 caller alerted Berkeley police about a man with a gun assaulting a woman on the 2300 block of Prince Street. Upon arrival, the police found Steen in the company of three women, two of whom were initially charged as accessories in his human trafficking case. Steen was arrested, but prosecutors only charged him with the possession of the gun found in his vehicle, not the alleged assault on the woman.
Steen’s bail has been set at $520,000 for the human trafficking case and an additional $70,000 for the gun charges, according to jail records. This arrest follows a separate case from 2022, where Steen was charged with human trafficking of a minor.
During Steen’s preliminary hearing in July 2022, a 14-year-old girl testified that after running away from home, Steen and the woman he was seen allegedly assaulting on February 28 drove her to various high-prostitution areas in Los Angeles, Vallejo, Oakland, and other parts of the Bay Area. The girl described Steen, who was twice her age, as a “wonderful person” who would make her laugh or smile during difficult moments. However, she expressed feeling horrible about the experience, stating that she felt alone and uncertain about her safety.
Steen had been released without bail but was placed under GPS monitoring after the charges were filed in 2022. However, he faced trouble last year for violating the terms of his release by leaving his home without permission, although he was not incarcerated for this violation, as per court records.
