When someone stalks you for years — sends messages through fake accounts, violates court orders, shows up at your home — the law should protect you. But for Fox31 meteorologist Kylie Bearse, and far too many others, that’s not what happened.

Kylie did everything right. She reported the obsessive behavior. She got a restraining order. And when her stalker showed up at her house after 18 months of silence — sitting in her driveway after years of harassment — she called 911. She was terrified. She expected the law to respond with the seriousness stalking deserves.

Instead, Denver prosecutors charged the man with a misdemeanor: violating a protection order. Not felony stalking, despite a clear pattern of behavior over time. The man was released just days later.

Colorado law defines stalking as repeated contact or behavior that causes emotional distress — and it does not require the abuse to happen all at once. But in this case, the Denver District Attorney’s Office said too much time had passed since the last incident. That’s a dangerous precedent.

Stalking survivors already live with fear. They shouldn't also have to fight the legal system to be taken seriously.

We are calling on the Denver District Attorney’s Office to:

• Treat stalking as the serious and dangerous crime it is
• Use felony stalking charges when victims are at risk — including public figures and strangers, not just domestic cases
• Review charging guidelines to ensure consistent protection for all stalking victims, regardless of how much time passes between incidents

This isn’t about just one case — it’s about how the system responds to hundreds of cases across the city. Denver charges stalking at far lower rates than similar Colorado counties. That must change.

Stand with stalking survivors. Tell the Denver DA: charge stalking seriously.