People v. Casey CA3

BACKGROUND

The following summary of facts is based on the preliminary hearing transcript, which defendant stipulated provided a factual basis for his guilty plea. In the fall of 2020, D.C. obtained a domestic violence restraining order against defendant that prohibited him from contacting her or coming within 100 yards of her, except during custody exchanges of their son. Nearly every day thereafter, defendant texted and called D.C. numerous times professing his love for her and asking why she was “doing this.” One day, D.C. saw defendant sitting in his car less than half a block from her home. D.C. also learned defendant was seen around her workplace. Frightened, D.C. contacted the police. Days later, defendant wrote in a text message to D.C. that she hurt him by obtaining the restraining order, and that he heard police banging at his door. In December 2020, D.C. heard a noise in her backyard. She ran to her front yard and saw defendant’s car parked there, within 100 yards of her home. She saw defendant run from behind her fence to his car. In February 2021, during an exchange of their son, defendant jumped into the front passenger seat of D.C.’s car and refused to leave. Later…