Authorities arrested a man suspected of stalking model, actor and social media influencer Lindsey Pelas after he was seen in the yard of her Los Angeles-area home. Los Angeles police responded at about 2:30 p.m., and officers took into custody a man previously accused of stalking Pelas.
Earlier Reported Incidents Preceded the Arrest
The arrest followed earlier reported incidents at Pelas's home. NBC Los Angeles reported on the arrest, while a TorchStone Global report said LAPD officers responded twice within 24 hours after Pelas reported men lurking in her yard and a possible restraining-order violation. Officers searched the area during those incidents but made no arrests at the time.
The TorchStone report said officers later responded to Pelas's residence after another reported trespassing incident. It said police issued a violation-of-restraining-order report and identified the trespasser as a suspect in the earlier incidents. The report also said the man left the area, without specifying when officers arrived.
Felony Charge Tied to Active Restraining Order
How Restraining Orders Apply
The reported criminal allegation and the reported restraining-order violation are related but distinct parts of the case: Pelas is described as having obtained court-ordered protection, while the arrest was reported as involving suspicion of felony stalking with a prior. According to California Courts, a civil harassment restraining order can be granted when someone has stalked, harassed, threatened or harmed another person, and police can be called to enforce the order once a judge grants it. In a separate Los Angeles case, ABC7 Los Angeles reported that singer Sabrina Carpenter sought a temporary restraining order after a man allegedly returned to her home multiple times; police arrested him for criminal trespass. That case involved a different person, location, charge and reported procedural posture than the Pelas matter.
Pelas had obtained a restraining order against the suspect, and law enforcement arrested him on suspicion of felony stalking with a prior. He remained jailed on $170,000 bond following the arrest. Under California Penal Code Section 646.9, stalking someone while a court protective order is actively in effect elevates the offense to a felony, carrying a potential state prison term of two, three or four years, according to FindLaw. California became the first U.S. state to pass an anti-stalking statute in 1990.
A representative for Pelas said she did not believe it appropriate to comment while the investigation remained active. The representative added that Pelas is grateful to the Los Angeles Police Department and other professionals for their continued attention to the matter, and that she respects the legal process and hopes court-ordered protections will be honored. Her team also said Pelas's focus remains on personal safety, friends, family and continuing her work, and requested that her privacy be honored.
A High Profile That Draws Outsized Attention
Pelas commands a massive online audience, with more than 8.5 million followers on Instagram alone as of 2024, according to the Miss Understood Podcast. That kind of reach can expose high-profile creators to obsessive fans and stalkers, a dynamic underscored by the existence of LAPD's Threat Management Unit — the nation's first specialized law enforcement team dedicated to investigating stalking and harassment cases involving public figures, celebrities and influencers, per Wikipedia. The unit was created following the murder of actress Rebecca Schaeffer by an obsessed stalker.
The Threat Management Unit handles cases involving public figures, working alongside mental health crisis teams to assess potential stalkers. The Los Angeles Police Department lists the unit under its Crisis Response Support Section, although that listing does not establish that the unit handled Pelas's arrest.
Pelas has built a broader media career, including her podcast, Eyes Up Here. She made her film debut in 2015's Extraction and has since appeared in Paper Empire and The Bay. She attended the premiere of Apple TV's Ted Lasso Season 4 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on July 27, 2026, in Los Angeles.
