NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) – The man accused of stalking Taylor Swift outside her Manhattan apartment, David Crowe, has been deemed mentally unfit for trial, as reported by Billboard. Crowe is a 33-year-old law student from Seattle. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office confirmed the results of a psychiatric examination, stating that Crowe is “unfit to stand trial” on misdemeanor charges of stalking, harassment, and contempt. As a result, the criminal charges against him will be dismissed, and he will be transferred to a mental health facility.
A judge ordered the evaluation of Crowe during his most recent hearing. Crowe’s arrests occurred three times last month outside Swift’s Tribeca residence. In charging documents, prosecutors alleged that he had been spotted approximately 30 times near Swift’s apartment building since late November. He reportedly stated that he was there to speak to the superstar on multiple occasions.
“The criminal case is now dismissed by function of law,” stated the Manhattan District Attorney’s office spokesperson. “He will now be committed to the custody of the Office of Mental Health to receive necessary treatment.”
Crowe’s public defender, Katherine LeGeros Bajuk, expressed satisfaction with the decision, saying, “We are pleased that all parties now agree to the obvious truth that Mr. Crowe is too ill to proceed and requires treatment, not jail. We look forward to ensuring Mr. Crowe is provided with the psychiatric treatment and supportive social services he needs to achieve a successful and stable re-entry into society.”
While Crowe will not face criminal charges, he will be committed to a mental health treatment facility until deemed fit for release by doctors. Prosecutors retain the ability to argue against any potential future release and can seek civil court protection orders preventing defendants like Crowe from contacting victims post-release.
Crowe’s arrests began on January 20, with subsequent incidents on January 22 and January 24. Prosecutors warned the judge that Crowe had willfully disobeyed previous rulings, leading to a decision to keep him in custody. Crowe’s most recent arrest occurred when he was filmed sifting through a dumpster outside Swift’s apartment, merely an hour after being discharged from court, where he had been instructed to keep his distance.
Swift’s security team alerted the local police about his return to the vicinity. Currently, Crowe is detained at Rikers and will remain there until moved to a mental health facility. If he had gone to trial on the original stalking charges, Crowe could have faced up to 18 months in prison. Additional charges for breaching protection orders could have resulted in a further two years if convicted.
This isn’t the first time the “Karma” singer has had some unwanted guests. In 2019, Roger Alvarado was arrested for trying to break into the property, the second time he had been taken in for the same crime. He was sentenced to four years in prison after making a plea deal.
In 2022, another man, Joshua Christian, was arrested for allegedly stalking Taylor across “multiple states.”
