Casper Man Gets Probation For Stalking Woman
A Casper man accused of stalking a woman and placing a GPS tracker on her vehicle was given a 3-year probation sentence.
Natrona County District Court Judge Kerri M. Johnson handed him the sentence during a hearing on Wednesday morning.
The sentence stems from a plea agreement reached earlier this year, but Johnson said she was initially reluctant to accept the agreement due to the nature of his actions.
According to court documents, a woman with whom he had been romantically involved contacted police and said he had violated a protection order. Additionally, Babcock was in possession of numerous firearms.
He also reportedly became violent with police when they attempted to apprehend him.
The affidavit states police then attempted to get him to walk toward a patrol car and had to be forcefully pulled toward it. When he was advised that he would face additional charges for refusing to get in, he reportedly relented but immediately began banging against the cage once inside the vehicle.
On the way to the Natrona County Detention Center, an officer asked him about GPS trackers. He reportedly complained about officers entering his house without a warrant. Advised that he would be in "serious trouble" if officers found a GPS device, he alleged stated something to the effect of, "We'll deal with that then."
Once he arrived at the jail, he again became violent. Detention Center deputies had to use physical force to controlhim, leading to deputies using "chemical irritants" to gain compliance. He also allegedly tried to take the can away, according to the affidavit.
Meanwhile, police searched his residence and reportedly found a semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun, an AR-15 rifle and a Glock 10mm pistol. Additionally, police found a large volume of ammunition, some of which was armor piercing.
Police also checked the woman's vehicle and found a magnetic plastic case containing a GPS tracking device, court documents state. It was reportedly stuck under the rear bumper and appeared to be actively transmitting GPS data.
Assistant Natrona County District Attorney Jared Holbrook said, despite the plea deal including serving probation, he understood the serious nature of the allegations and called the incident "an extremely dangerous situation."
Johnson agreed.
"The facts underlying (this case) are very dangerous, very concerning," Johnson said. "I considered not accepting this proposal."
But because he has a limited criminal history, Johnson went along with the agreement. As part of his probation, he is required to attend counseling and receive treatment for alcohol abuse.
He initially faced up to 10 years behind bars when charges were filed.
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