GREENFIELD — A Greenfield man is accused of stalking a woman, following her in his car as she drove across town while calling her cellphone repeatedly, court documents state.
Michael Brinegar, 39, 2336 E. County Road 500N, faces two criminal counts alleging he drove aggressively behind a woman he knew as she drove from Maxwell to Greenfield, according to court documents.
Brinegar had been warned by police not to have any contact with the woman, court documents state. The next day, the woman called 911 as she was driving to say the man was following her after they’d had an altercation.
Brinegar now faces charges of stalking and aggressive driving. He was being held in the Hancock County Jail on a $1,000 cash bond at press time.
The woman told police she drove to Maxwell last week to drop her children off at school, and she spotted Brinegar sitting in his truck waiting for her near the intersection of County Road 500N and State Road 9, court documents state.
The woman said she pulled into the parking lot at Maxwell Middle School, and Brinegar pulled into the parking lot after her. Brinegar then got out of his car and began yelling at the woman, she told police, according to court documents.
Once her children were safely inside, the woman got back into her car and started driving toward Greenfield. Brinegar followed her, driving aggressively, court documents state.
The woman called 911 to report Brinegar. She told dispatchers she would wait in the parking lot of Home Depot in Greenfield for police.
A Greenfield Police Department patrolman spotted Brinegar’s car near the intersection of New Road and Melody Lane in Greenfield.
He was driving out of the Walmart parking lot and crossing the street, heading toward Home Depot, court documents state.
Police stopped him in the Home Depot parking lot.
The patrolman who stopped Brinegar questioned the man about where he was going. The officer told Brinegar he saw him run a stop sign, drive diagonally through the parking lot and looking repeatedly from left to right, as if he were searching for someone.
Brinegar told the officer he wasn’t looking for anyone, court documents state.
The victim had accused Brinegar of harassment prior to the incident, police said. The day before, Brinegar had been told by police not to have contact with the woman in person or via telephone, police said.
Officers checked the woman’s phone after she made the report and discovered Brinegar had been calling her throughout the morning, court documents state.
Brinegar was arrested Friday and taken to the Hancock County Jail.
He faces one Level 6 felony count of stalking and one Class A misdemeanor of aggressive driving. He’s pleaded not guilty to both counts, records show.
The Level 6 felony count he faces carries a maximum sentence of 2 ½ years. The Class A misdemeanor carries a maximum sentence of one year.
Brinegar is expected back in court Feb. 12.