‘Portugese Kids’ Comedian Al Sardinha Faces Felony Charges

A well-known entertainer from Fall River faces felony charges after a Freetown woman claimed he broke into her apartment while she was at work.

Albert J. Sardinha, 40, of 623 Rock Street, appeared in Fall River District Court on Jan. 22 where he denied one charge of breaking and entering in the daytime to commit a felony and one charge of larceny from a building. He was released on $2,500 cash bail and ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim, a court clerk confirmed.

Albert "Al" Sardinha is a founding member of the Portuguese Kids, a three-man comedy troupe from Fall River known for their live performances and videos.

According to a Freetown Police Department incident report, a 29-year-old Assonet woman reported on Wednesday, January 22 that she had come home from work early on that day to find Sardinha inside her apartment. She told police that she had locked the door before leaving, that Sardinha did not have a key, and that she believed he must have picked the lock.

The woman told police that Sardinha told her that he "felt emotional" after attending a funeral and that he "wanted closure" with her. She said he took off on foot and was seen driving away in a white van. She called a friend who advised her to contact police.

The woman told police that she and Sardinha had gone on one date together and that she broke it off after he sent her "long and creepy" sexually explicit text messages. She said she blocked him on social media but he continued to text her. She told police that she never had a sexual relationship with Sardinha. Police said the woman was crying and said that "she thought these things only happened in movies."

The alleged victim told police that Sardinha had two bags with him, one which appeared to contain an internet cable. Out of concern that Sardinha might have installed a hidden camera, police searched her apartment but did not find any hidden recording device. The woman was advised by police to arm her front door with an alarm system, to purchase pepper spray, and to practice situational awareness.

The next day, the woman contacted Freetown police again to report that she believed an "intimate personal item" had been stolen from her nightstand drawer.

She told police she planned to seek a restraining order against Sardinha.

In an interview with the Fall River Herald News, Sardinha denied the allegations and said the two had spoken in a "common space on the landing of the second floor” and that there had been "no argument."

Defense lawyer Joseph Botelho said Sardinha “is completely innocent of all charges” and said he plans to take the case to trial. He told the Herald News that Sardinha had wanted to drop off a letter and another object for the woman.

In a statement posted to Facebook, the Portuguese Kids said Sardinha “will be taking time off from the stage to focus on his legal issues.” They added, “Although we cannot speak about the specifics of the case, we have 100% confidence in the judicial system and we are 100% confident that the truth will come out."

Judge Robert Ovoian on Wednesday granted the woman a one-year abuse prevention order against Sardinha, who is due back in court April 29 for a pre-trial hearing.