Features

Florida man returns to Oakland to face charges of stalking

Daily Planet Wire Service
Wednesday October 09, 2002

OAKLAND – A Florida man accused of stalking a former college classmate over a nine-year period and burglarizing her home has been bound over for trial in Alameda County Superior Court. Daniel Barbalace, 27, of Boca Raton, was arrested Sept. 7 and is charged with one count of stalking and two counts of burglary. 

Barbalace has pleaded innocent to the charges. Deputy District Attorney Mark McCannon said that Barbalace was held to answer to the three counts following a preliminary examination that began Friday afternoon and concluded Monday. 

A preliminary hearing is held to determine if a person charged with a felony should be tried for the crime. Barbalace is scheduled to be arraigned on the information contained in the charges on Oct. 21. 

McCannon said that Barbalace and his alleged victim first met in 1993 as freshmen at a college in Rochester, N.Y. Since then, an alleged pattern of harassment and stalking emerged. 

Over the next nine years, Barbalace allegedly followed and harassed the victim in hope of establishing a romantic relationship, McCannon said. The woman repeatedly spurned his advances. 

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

Barbalace 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. 

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