Crime & Safety

Selena Gomez Stalker Charged – Again

Che Cruz, described as a transient, was sentenced for a similar crime just last week.

Originally posted at 3:03 p.m. April 7, 2014. Edited with new details.

A 20-year-old man who was sent to jail for breaking into Selena Gomez's guest house in Calabasas was charged today with a felony count of stalking for allegedly returning to the singer-actress' house after being released and being ordered to stay away from her and her property.

Che Cruz, described as a transient, was also charged with a misdemeanor count of violating a court order.

Find out what's happening in Calabasaswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

He pleaded not guilty this afternoon to the two charges, and is due back April 17 in a Van Nuys courtroom.

Cruz allegedly returned to Gomez's Calabasas-area property Friday morning, hours after being released from jail. He allegedly scaled a fence to get onto the star's recently purchased property around 11:30 a.m., according to the sheriff's Malibu-Lost Hills Station.

Find out what's happening in Calabasaswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Deputies responded after being alerted by neighborhood security and paparazzi who had been staking out the property, said sheriff's Lt. Jennifer Barsh.

Cruz was initially arrested March 30 inside a bathroom of a guest house on the property. He pleaded no contest Wednesday to a misdemeanor count of unauthorized entry of a residential dwelling and was sentenced to 45 days in jail.

Superior Court Commissioner Alvin Nierenberg also ordered him to serve three years on probation and to stay away from Gomez and her residence, according to Deputy District Attorney Eduards Abele.

Sheriff's officials did not immediately say why Cruz had been released, but non-violent offenders often serve only a fraction of their sentence due to jail overcrowding.

If convicted as charged in the latest case, Cruz could face up to four years in state prison, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

--City News Service


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.