A 20-year-old woman pulled into the Giant supermarket parking lot in Thorndale around 11 a.m. last Friday and noticed a silver Nissan sliding into the space beside her car. By the time she walked out of the store, clean diapers had been placed on both of her windshield wipers, and the driver of that Nissan was waiting nearby, watching.
Police have identified that driver as 38-year-old Michael John Kent of Kennett Square, who was arrested Monday and now faces stalking and harassment charges, according to Daily Voice. The outlet reported that Kent's full charge sheet also includes disorderly conduct, retail theft, and driving while his operating privileges were suspended or revoked, while Patch reported he was booked on stalking and harassment alone. The charge descriptions differ.
The incident happened at the Giant at 3477 Lincoln Highway, as reported by Daily Voice. Investigators say Kent moved his vehicle into the spot next to the woman's car shortly after she parked, then repositioned it again once she went inside to shop, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.
Diapers on the Windshield, Then a Wait
While the woman was inside the store, Kent allegedly placed the clean diapers on each of her windshield wipers and then parked his car directly behind hers, waiting for her to come back out, the Patch report states. When she returned to find the diapers, she called over a store employee, who helped remove them and phoned police, per the same account.
Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators reportedly showed Kent shifting his vehicle several times in order to stay close to the woman throughout the encounter, the Daily Voice report notes. Kent drove off once the woman left the lot, and she contacted Caln Township police shortly after, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. The diapers had been placed on her vehicle while she was inside the store.
Arrest Days Later on Lincoln Highway
Kent was located and taken into custody without incident on Monday while sitting in his vehicle outside a business in the 300 block of Lincoln Highway, the Patch article reports. His bail was set at $5,000, and because he was unable to post it, he was committed to Chester County Prison, according to court documents cited by Daily Voice.
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 21 before Magisterial District Judge Ann M. Feldman, per the Daily Voice report. Police have said they are seeking additional victims or witnesses who may have had contact with Kent.
A Prior Stalking Conviction
This is not Kent's first brush with Pennsylvania's stalking statute. He pleaded guilty on April 2, 2024, to misdemeanor stalking and harassment in a case brought by West Chester Borough police, the outlet reported. His probation in that case was later revoked, and on Nov. 27, 2024, a judge sentenced him to three to 12 months in jail followed by two years of probation, according to the same Daily Voice account.
Under Pennsylvania law, stalking is defined as engaging in a course of conduct or repeatedly committing acts toward another person with intent to place that person in reasonable fear of bodily injury or to cause substantial emotional distress, according to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. A first offense under the statute is generally graded as a first-degree misdemeanor, though certain repeat offenses can be charged as third-degree felonies, per the same statute.
