Criminal charges have been dismissed against the man accused of stalking Sabrina Carpenter after a judge ruled him mentally incompetent.
According to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, a judge overruled prosecutors’ objections on Tuesday (Aug. 25) and held that 31-year-old William Applegate is too mentally unwell to stand trial. Applegate is still subject to a restraining order that requires him to stay away from Carpenter for five years.
The pop star alleged in a May legal petition that Applegate, “a complete stranger,” had surveilled her L.A. home for a month before attempting to break in. The singer said Applegate falsely claimed to know her personally, “indicative of a dangerous, delusional and irrational fixation on me.”
“The totality of Applegate’s conduct has caused me significant and ongoing fear for my personal safety and the safety of all individuals residing in my home,” wrote Carpenter in a court declaration. “Applegate has repeatedly and willfully violated the sanctity and security of my private residence. His act of physically attempting to open and enter my front door, without invitation, consent or any lawful basis is among the most disturbing violations of personal safety and privacy I have ever experienced.”
Applegate opposed Carpenter’s requested restraining order, insisting that he and Carpenter are part of the same “classified military-government program.” In June, a judge in downtown L.A. ordered Applegate to stay at least 100 yards away from the singer’s home, car and workplaces until 2031.
The following day, Applegate was criminally charged with eight misdemeanor counts including stalking, disorderly conduct, battery and trespassing. But after a psychiatric evaluation, a different judge in Hollywood threw out those criminal charges due to mental incompetency on Tuesday.
Applegate’s attorneys and reps for Carpenter did not immediately return requests for comment on the matter on Thursday (Aug. 27).
While stalking has long been a disturbing consequence of fame, the problem has worsened in recent years due to social media; fans now interact more directly with their favorite artists, which can lead to unhealthy obsession for those with mental illness. The internet has also made it easier for stalkers to locate their targets.
This has increasingly led artists like Carpenter to seek legal intervention. Multiple individuals have been criminally charged over the last decade with stalking Taylor Swift, who also got a restraining order against another stalker last year.
This past April, a woman named Michelle Dick was charged with physically attacking Fleetwood Mac frontman Lindsey Buckingham after years of threats. Like Applegate, Dick has since been ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial.
