As we all know, fame has a dark side. Anyone with millions of fans will inevitably attract scary people. Taylor Swift has had her fair share of stalkers over the years, to the point where her security team have installed facial recognition software at her concerts to spot known stalkers.
In 2022 a man drove his car into Swift’s building to try and gain access, and another stalker, Roger Alvarado was discovered asleep in her bed. Terrifying stuff.
Now things have taken a particularly unnerving turn, as a man has been arrested and charged with harassment and stalking near Swift’s New York home. As reported by the BBC, the suspect is David Crowe, who was described as an “emotionally disturbed male” and has been charged with two counts of harassment and two counts of stalking.
Incredibly, less than an hour after his release he returned to Swift’s apartment building and was seen rummaging through a dumpster. He was promptly arrested again.
So, what do we know about Crowe?
Who is David Crowe?
As per TMZ, Crowe had already been cuffed by police on Saturday while caught trying to enter Swift’s townhouse and checking doors to the property to see if any were open. Upon his release Crowe returned once more to try again. Swift’s security team, already on heightened alert, spotted him “lurking” and contacted the NYPD to track him down.
The BBC reports that Crowe is aged 33 and hails from Seattle where he attends school, potentially indicating he made a cross-country trip to stalk Swift, and the New York Post relays neighbors’ reports that he’s been suspiciously loitering for “weeks”. CNN reports that cops discovered Crowe had an active warrant out for his arrest after failing to answer a summons to court in 2017.
Little else is known about the suspect and we cannot find any social media profiles connected to him or any online evidence of his fixation on Swift. But make no mistake, he’s open that he’s there to speak to Swift. Assistant District Attorney Harriet Jiranek said:
“He constantly states he is there to see Taylor Swift. He has said this to neighbors and asked where she is.”
One aspect of the case that’s puzzling people is why he’s being repeatedly released only to return to Swift’s apartment building. The New York Post quotes NYPD sources as saying they don’t have proof that he’s committed any crime.
They also quote criminal defence attorney Jason Goldman, who’s critical of the current laws:
“New York’s felony stalking laws require showing repetitive convictions or use of a weapon against the victim, a very high bar. At the same time, By having such strict requirements, our law almost waits for a potentially deadly crime to be carried out as opposed to an effective ‘preventative anti-stalking’ statute which would make Taylor and others much safer.
Mr. Crowe is precisely the type of person and type of scenario that stalking laws are made for so we don’t have another Rebecca Schaeffer on our hands.”
Crowe is due in court on Mar. 12 to answer the charges against him.
If you are a victim of stalking, please contact Safehorizon on their 24-hour hotline 1-800-621-HOPE (4673). If you are in immediate danger, call 911.