Woman pleads guilty to booty call turned carjacking in Billings

A woman pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to carjacking a man she met online.

Talena Boyiddle, 20, also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Boyiddle, using an alias, and the victim had met online, according to court documents. At 1 a.m. on Jan. 23, 2023, the two arranged for the victim to pick her up, “so they could watch TV together,” the victim reported to the police.

When he arrived, she got into the front seat and two men got into the backseat. They instructed him to drive to an alley behind a laundromat. When they arrived, Boyiddle pulled out a Glock, racked it twice, and pointed it at the victim.

All three people then made statements making it clear they intended to rob him, according to court documents.

The victim then ran away and Boyiddle and the others took his 2003 Honda Civic. A BPD officer found the vehicle with switched out plates later that day and had it towed. A few days later, it was stolen by Boyiddle again, by using the key she obtained from the carjacking.

On Feb. 6, police found Boyiddle in the Civic. She was also in possession of a Glock. The victim provided her Facebook photos to BPD officers, who were able to confirm it was the same person.

As part of the change of plea hearing, Judge Timothy Cavan asked Boyiddle whether there were any inaccuracies in that account of what happened.

“’So they could watch TV together,’” she said. “It’s inaccurate, the TV part.”

Part of a carjacking charge is the “intent to cause death or serious bodily harm.” In order to enter her guilty plea, Cavan asked Boyiddle if that was her intention when she brandished her Glock. She seemed unsure whether she would have used the loaded gun had the victim not complied with her demands.

She looked to her lawyer, who nodded, and then said that she intended to cause bodily injury. Cavan followed up by asking if she intended to cause “serious” bodily injury, as confirmation of the exact phrasing of the law is required to plead guilty. She looked to her lawyer and said that she had.

Carjacking carries a maximum sentence of 15 years of imprisonment. Possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence carries a minimum sentence of five years.