Features

Arrest made in Alameda County stalking

Daily Planet Wire Service
Saturday September 14, 2002

OAKLAND – A 27-year-old Florida man charged with allegedly stalking a former college classmate over a nine-year period delayed entering a plea in Alameda County Superior Court this morning. 

Daniel Barbalace of Boca Raton was arrested Saturday and faces two counts of burglary and one count of stalking, said Deputy District Attorney Mark McCannon. Although Barbalace did not enter a plea today, his bail was increased to $150,000. 

McCannon said that Barbalace and his alleged victim, an Alameda County woman, first met in 1993 as freshmen at a college in Rochester, N.Y. 

Since then, an alleged pattern of harassment and stalking emerged. 

"He's known this woman for a nine-year period,'' McCannon said.  

"Throughout that period he had repeatedly followed her and harassed her in hopes of establishing some type of dating relationship.'' 

The woman repeatedly rebuffed his advances. 

Several years after college, the woman moved to the Bay Area.  

Barbalace allegedly tracked her down, McCannon said, finding out where she lived and worked. Then on Sept. 2, he flew in from Florida and contacted the woman on the street. He also allegedly broke into her residence and stole several items, according to authorities. 

He then flew back to Florida but returned to the Bay Area several days later and was arrested Saturday. 

Barbalace is scheduled to return to court in Oakland on Tuesday to enter a plea.