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?Photos in graphic from CBS 6 (WGRB)The pilot accused of stalking a woman for years, flying low over her home and throwing tomatoes, has been arrested for the fifth time.
The 65-year-old pilot, Michael Arnold, has faced multiple arrests over his sky-high stalking. He has been accused of flying his 1976 Cessna 180 over the homes of a small New York village, even throwing tomatoes from his plane. For over four years, Schuylerville resident Cassandra Wilusz and her neighbors have been tormented by the low-flying Cessna.RELATED STORY:Pilot arrested after years of sky-high stalking
Flight records indicated numerous instances when Arnold's Cessna was flying below the FAA's minimum required altitude, which is 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle in a city, town or village and 500 feet in rural areas. Arnold's plane was documented flying as low as 300-400 feet over the village, including homes, businesses and even the school across the street from the victim's café. Despite numerous calls to the police, the stalking continued for years, until he was finally arrested in May of 2023. He was arrested again on June 1, 2023 after violating a protection order and a no-fly order issued by a judge after his initial arrest. Arnold was arrested again in October on two felonies and three misdemeanors, according to the Bennington Banner. His October charges included violation of an abuse prevention order, aggravated stalking with court order violation, giving police false information to implicate another, attempted impeding of an officer and resisting arrest. Times Union reported he was arrested again in October for flying his Cessna when it was supposed to be grounded.
Arnold has continually denied the accusations, even when prosecutors accused him of posting messages online under a different Facebook account with a fake name, with comments like, "nobody stalked that," and "not my type," on the victim's business page, according to Fox News. He pleaded not guilty to his charges in October and was released on the condition that he stay away from Wilusz and planes. Multiple warnings, court orders and arrests could not deter Arnold. The Saratoga County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that it was made aware of an alleged violation of an Order of Protection on Jan. 12 and he was arrested again on Feb. 1 on misdemeanor counts of stalking and criminal contempt.
The Saratoga County Sheriff's Office said Arnold allegedly knowingly and unlawfully waited for and followed his victim, in violation of an order of protection. He was arraigned in the Saratoga Town Court and will be held in the Saratoga County Correctional Facility without bail. Schuylerville Mayor Dan Carpenter told Times Union justice for Wilusz is long overdue. Carpenter said after every arrest Arnold would continue to fly low over her home and café and long been a nuisance and potential hazard for the entire village.
"I'm concerned it has taken this long," Carpenter said to Times Union. "I'm frustrated with this that our justice system is not protecting victims. It's blatantly obvious that he's been not following the restriction and orders of judges to leave (the cafe owner) alone and stop harassing her family."
Wilusz said Arnold has been stalking her since he first walked into her café in October 2019. She said she received an email from him containing inappropriate unsolicited emails and messages and then he escalated to flying low over her home and business and even pelting her yard with tomatoes. She told Times Union Arnold sent her threatening messages, telling her karma would get her and that she killed her father, who died in a fire in 2017, and her husband, who died of cancer in 2023. Arnold was even captured slowly driving by the area while Wilusz was being interviewed.Arnold is being held without bail awaiting a court date, which has not been set.