Darrell R. Pacoe

A Butler man pleaded guilty to stalking in Butler County Court on Wednesday.

Darrell R. Pacoe, 44, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of stalking before President Judge Thomas Doerr.

The plea agreement calls for a probationary sentence with fines and court costs. He is scheduled for sentencing Feb. 7.

Pacoe was initially charged with misdemeanor terroristic threats, two counts each of stalking, simple assault, disorderly conduct and accidents involving damage to an attended vehicle as well as 14 summary offenses, including harassment, criminal mischief and reckless driving after an incident Feb. 3.

He was charged after Butler Township Police say he caused a vehicle accident and harassed a woman he believed to be connected to drug trafficking.

Police said Pacoe had been stalking the woman, who lives near him, and reported to police a suspicious vehicle associated with the woman and suspected the activity was “gang related,” according to the criminal complaint.

He then followed the woman and her friend in a separate vehicle through Butler before pulling in front of the woman's vehicle, slamming his brakes, putting his car in reverse and hitting the front of her vehicle, police said.

Once he forced the women's vehicle to stop, he then got out of his truck and yelled “You're going to die!” police said.

Bail was initially set at $15,000 unsecured Feb. 7 by District Judge Kevin O'Donnell, with the conditions of Pacoe getting a mental health evaluation and having no contact with the victim. But on May 12 an emergency motion to detain him and modify bail was entered and granted, holding Pacoe pending further hearings, according to court records. This was based on two prosecution exhibits entered into evidence, which were sealed by the court and unavailable to the public.

Following a mental health evaluation, Pacoe was indefinitely detained on an order issued by McCune May 26, stating, “The Court feels that no condition or combination of conditions other than imprisonment will reasonably assure the safety of PA and the community.”

He was later released to house arrest with electronic monitoring Aug. 29 after bail was again set at $15,000 unsecured.