Photo from CBS 6 Albany (WGRB)
A village in New York has been terrorized by a low-flying pilot who has been stalking one woman for nearly four years. This stalking pilot was arrested on June 1 for violating a protection order and a no-fly order that had been issued by a judge after his first arrest. He has been accused of flying under 1,000 feet over the victim’s home and even pelting her yard with tomatoes.
Schuylerville resident Cassandra Wilusz and her neighbors have been living in fear of the sound of an engine roaring low overhead for years, as the alleged stalker, 64-year-old Michael J. Arnold flew his 1976 Cessna 180 over her home and business up to three times a week for the last four years, according to The Independent. Wilusz told CBS 6 Albany that she first met the pilot when he was a customer in her business, the Revolution café, and received an email from him containing inappropriate unsolicited pictures and messages. The stern warning she gave him did not deter him from flying low above her home and business, circling the wider portion of the village and instilling fear in the local community.
“Then he started flying over my house, sending me pictures of my house, my pool, my backyard, of me, my family, my friends,” Wilusz said to The (Albany) Times Union. “He tells me karma is going to get me. He said I killed my dad” — who died in a fire in 2017 — and I’m going to kill my husband. I called the police, but it never stops.”
Wilusz told Times Union she has gone to law enforcement many times and has been told in the past that it was an FAA matter since the harassment was airborne. The FAA has responded to numerous outlets that it fully investigated the allegations and was unable to find evidence that the pilot violated FAA regulations. Unfortunately for Wilusz, work with law enforcement was not stopping Arnold from his alleged stalking, whether in the air or on the ground. While conducting her interview with CBS, Wilusz pointed out the alleged stalker driving by in his car and parking on the street, watching her talk to the camera crew.
“He is terrorizing us,” Wilusz said to Times Union. “He flies so close to the house that it feels like he’s going to go through it. It’s a nightmare that just doesn’t stop.”
Flight records indicate numerous occasions when the plane was flying below the minimum required altitude by the FAA, which is 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle in a city, town or village and 500 feet in rural areas. CBS 6 shared that Arnold’s plane had flown as low as 300-400 feet over the village, not only breaking rules set forth by the FAA but endangering his life and the lives of people in the village. Witnesses across the village have recorded the pilot flying dangerously low over their homes, businesses and even the school that sits across the street from the Revolution Café.
Just flying flow seemed to not be enough for the stalking pilot, as he allegedly began throwing objects from his plane, like tomatoes, into her yard. Residents fear for his mental stability and how far he’ll take his antics or how volatile he could get. Schuylerville Mayor Dan Carpenter shared his frustrations with Times Union, blaming the justice system for not putting an end to the harassment.
“He’s flying lower than what we feel is acceptable, and it’s loud,” Carpenter said to Times Union. “We see this as harassment of the whole community. Then last year he dropped tomatoes in her yard. … What’s stopping him from dropping something heavier? … The police say they are doing everything they can, but it’s not been resolved. It’s been four years.”
School Superintendent Gregg Barthelmas is also feeling the frustration the rest of the community feels, telling Times Union he is in full support of village officials that want the plane to be grounded. Barthelmas and Wilusz have both shared concerns that the pilot flying over the school was unsafe and has scared the children in the past.
“I would be the happiest man in the world if I never saw that plane again,” Barthelmas said to Times Union.
Wilusz told Times Union the last day Arnold flew over her home was May 23, one day after her husband died of cancer. He was caught on camera during an interview two days later, waiting in his car outside her café. He was arrested on June 1 at the Saratoga County Airport (5B2) after he landed. Saratoga Today Newspaper reports that he was charged with criminal contempt in the second-degree, resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration. It is also reported that he physically resisted the deputies when he was taken into custody. He was later released after posting bail and according to CBS 6, his hearing was postponed once from June 20 to June 27 as his attorney argues the terms of his latest order of protection.
Contact
Name: Haley Davoren
, Digital Content Manager
Company: GlobalAir.com
Website: https://globalair.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 502-456-3934
©2023 GlobalAir.com, Haley Davoren. All rights reserved.
