A Duluth man facing stalking charges after allegedly following a woman home from a Kwik Trip in Superior waived his preliminary hearing in Douglas County Circuit Court June 12.
Philip Daniel Lenehan, 32, faces two counts of stalking. A $10,000 signature bond was set for Lenehan, who was ordered to have no contact with the victims and no use or possession of alcohol.
According to the criminal complaint, Lenehan came up close behind a woman in line at Kwik Trip and passed a hand over her butt. The woman told Superior police officers that Lenehan, who she did not know, appeared to be intoxicated at the time and she did not give him permission to touch her.
The woman told officers that Lenehan pulled out of the convenience store parking lot the same time she did and followed her, even when she took “a couple of weird turns” to try to lose him, the complaint said. When she got home and parked, he pulled up, got out of his car and started talking to her.
He told her he was “just saying hi” and that he thought she was cute while standing in the middle of the sidewalk blocking the woman from walking toward her home, according to the complaint. She said she told him to leave four or five times, pulling out a civilian electric weapon because she was afraid of him.
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Another woman called the Superior Police Department after seeing Lenehan’s booking photo. She said she met Lenehan online and they messaged back and forth. The two met in person twice, but he made her uncomfortable.
Lenehan then reportedly showed up at her Superior residence unannounced and intoxicated, and she agreed to another date with him to get him to leave. When she texted him that she was not interested in a relationship, he left her six different text messages and called her three times in a row. She told officers that she was scared of Lenehan.
If convicted, each stalking count carries a maximum penalty of three years and six months of imprisonment and a fine of up to $10,000. Lenehan’s next court appearance was set for Aug. 24.
