Women on TikTok are sharing their experiences with a man who’s been stalking them around Barnes & Noble in the Burbank area.
Earlier this week, a TikTok from Michaela Witter went viral, receiving more than 2.3 million views. The video was supposed to be part of Witter’s ongoing “100 days of solo dates” series, “but I ended up being stalked and violated the entire time,” she says at the beginning.
While browsing at a Burbank Barnes & Noble, she explains that she noticed a man staring at her through a hole in one of the shelves, and that he followed her around the store. She started recording the man, who can be seen kneeling down at a shelf before moving closer to her backside; he does something similar to another woman nearby.
Witter asks him “What are you doing?” when he’s crouched behind her, and he responds “Tying my shoe.” Witter then tells someone at the front desk, who says they’ll “let the manager know.” Witter says in the video that she’s not sure what he was doing, but possibly he was sniffing her.
“Life as a woman is so violating,” says one commenter.
“I want to live in Barbieland,” says another.
@michaela.witter The ugly side of doing things solo as a woman even in an open public space. Stalking, harrassment, etc. has happened to me way too many times but this definitely ranks top 3 creepiest moments. Please be safe and attentive to your surroundings unlike myself. Unfortunately, as women we have to have all senses aware even in spaces we wouldnt think necessary #100solodateideas #solodateideas #womenproblems #menarescary ♬ original sound – Michaela 🤍
“I have had multiple women reach out to me or see[n] comments of women stating they were harassed by the same man, Calese Crowder,” Witter tells the Daily Dot. She says she filed a police report on Tuesday.
Barnes & Noble sent her “a follow-up email after emailing them the screenshots” but she says she hasn’t heard anything further about action they’re taking.
In 2021, Calese Crowder was arrested for a series of prowling incidents around Glendale. He has a long history of prowling, peeping, and burglary arrests, going back to 2011, when he was sentenced to eight years in prison. We reached out to the Glendale and Burbank Police Department for comment on these latest incidents.
Another TikToker, @artofethereality, shared a video from March, which appears to show the same man crouching down behind her. She says she posted it because people were claiming Witter’s TikTok was “staged.” Witter responded to those accusations in another TikTok, and expressed frustration that those kinds of comments were coming from men and women.
@artofethereality my experience with the barnes & noble stalker/a$$ sniffer back in march of this year , my cousin sent me the original video of the guy stalking @Michaela 🤍 asking me if its the same guy and it is!!! so i had to post this. this is real shit us girls go through and needs to be taken seriously .. i’m sorry people are saying your video is staged, i dont know you but i experienced what you went through and i have your back 💯 🫂 #barnesandnoble #burbankcalifornia ♬ original sound – ♡
Witter also posted a duet with @TizzyEnt, who posted an Instagram story from Robert Horry, commenter for the L.A. Lakers. In the story, Horry writes that “over 13 years ago,” Crowder “stalked” his step-daughter, who was 14 at the time, and “terrorized my family for months until he was arrested.”
@michaela.witter #duet with @TizzyEnt the same guy in the same b&n and stalking 14 year old girls. How is he allowed to roam free doing these things?? #stalker ♬ original sound – TizzyEnt
