500 Text Messages Sent to Ex-Girlfriend, Police Say

A Plainfield Township man spent the 24 hours after breaking up with his girlfriend sending her about 500 text messages and was still texting her from the back of an ambulance, court records say.

Police said they went to the house of Tyler J. Leighton, 19, after the ex-girlfriend and her mother said he was “suicidal” and had texted them that “he took pills and/or he was going to shoot himself,” the records say.

Leighton, whose visit to his ex-girlfriend’s house prompted her to call 911, told police he never made the suicide comment and never took pills but that he was “pissed” because the ex-girlfriend—listed in the records as a juvenile—had “cheated” on him.

Police described Leighton as being “very angry and upset.”

He agreed with a police request to be taken to a hospital for an evaluation. On the way to the hospital, township Patrolman Scott Zabriskie heard from the ex-girlfriend, who said Leighton was texting her from the back of the ambulance.

Leighton was later charged with stalking, harassment and other crimes.

Zabriskie writes in a criminal complaint that police got involved in the case last Tuesday, Feb. 26, when they were dispatched to the ex-girlfriend’s house on Batts Switch Road in the township for an “unwanted guest.”

According to the complaint:

—The girl said Leighton “broke up with her” the night before—Feb. 25 at 7:30—and “has not stopped harassing her since.” She said that since the breakup, he had sent her about 500 text messages.

—Around 9 last Tuesday night, Leighton went to her house, parked his car in her driveway for about 30 minutes, texted her that he was there, then left a short time later. About an hour later, her brother got home from work and Leighton walked out from behind the garage. The brother said Leighton was “upset and crying.”

—The girl came out and asked him to leave. At first he refused, but changed his mind when she called 911. Her brother took Leighton to Leighton’s home, 1101 Church Road. Once at home, Leighton was "very angry," the brother said, and hit the car with his hand.

—The girl and her mother told police about the suicide threat. The complaint says police saw the text messages, but it’s not clear if they meant just the alleged suicide threat or all the texts the girl said Leighton had sent.

—Zabriskie and two other officers went to Leighton’s house, where he denied the suicide threat and agreed to get a mental health evaluation.

Leighton was charged with two counts of stalking, two counts of harassment and one count each of loitering and prowling at nighttime and disorderly conduct.

He was arraigned Monday afternoon by on-duty District Judge Robert Hawke of Lehigh Township and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $8,000 bail.