Being followed, showing up unannounced, even writing letters: they're all examples of stalking.
For one president of a Mid-Michigan college the word "stalking" has been taken to a different level.
Aaron Maike is President of Baker College in Owosso, he's a proud husband and father of two children.
Never in a million years could he imagine that with just a signature, his life would drastically change.
“It's hard to imagine it's been 11 years of this going on,” said Maike.
Maike expelled 45-year-old Deann McBrayer 11-years-ago from Baker College’s Allen Park location where Maike used to work.
After he expelled her, McBrayer began leaving voicemails, e-mails, even accusing him of rape and fathering her children.
“We started getting a lot of emails and a lot of legal phone calls out of lawsuits making accusations that I had done a lot of inappropriate things with a previous student,” said Maike. “It just ramped up from there.”
Ramping up to some pretty serious and completely made-up allegations.
“She had said that I had raped her and that we had a son named Steven together,” said Maike. “Just recently she had said that she had triplets and wants child support for them.”
If that wasn't bad enough, just google Aaron’s name.
The top result? Not one, but two books written by none other than Deann McBrayer herself. Both books go into graphic detail about the alleged rape and fathering of her children.
“It’s one thing when you have to explain it to community members, and friends in the community,” said Maike. “But think I’d been married two years when this started and explaining that to a new wife or two young sons...”
One book even made it to the family's front door.
“When a book shows up on your porch and your wife opens that and calls you in a hysterical panic, reality really sets in,” said Maike. “I said the gloves are off and we're going to quite frankly make this girl's life as hard as we can.”
Annie Harrison is a detective with the Ingham County Sheriff's Office.
“I think stalking is a very common crime, even locally here in Ingham County,” said Harrison.
Harrison says stalking often goes under-reported, mostly because many don't recognize what it entails legally.
“Showing up at somebody's workplace unannounced, coming over to their house unannounced or repeated incoming calls and texts that disrupt their lives,” explained Harrison.
Be sure to document incidents if/when they happen to you.
“Sharing maybe with your employer about the conduct that you’re experiencing so they can keep an eye out for you,” said Harrison. “Sharing maybe with your family, friends, and then seeking support to then help to make the report to law enforcement.”
Filing a personal protection order may not put a stop to the stalker but legally it is a fantastic idea.
“It actually enhances it from being a misdemeanor to a felony so it is extremely critical to have that element,” said Harrison.
The Maike family is resting a little bit easier now.
McBrayer is now locked up in the Shiawassee County Jail. Maike worries though she could be released on bond.
What he's most worried about is getting those books taken off Amazon
“Leave me alone, get out of my life, I don't know you and I don't want to know you,” said Maike. “Stay away, leave me and my family alone.”
According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, 7.5 million people were stalked in one year in the U.S.
61 percent of female victims and 44 percent of male victims were stalked by a current or former intimate partner.
