CHICORA — A woman alleged two friends of a Butler man charged with stalking in 2024 photographed her while she was having dinner in Jefferson Township during a Tuesday, May 12, preliminary hearing.

Sherry Shuler said in early June 2024, she was having dinner at a restaurant when she saw two friends of her ex-husband, Randy Shuler, photograph her while they ate at the same restaurant.

Randy Shuler was charged Feb. 10 by state police with misdemeanor stalking regarding a tracker allegedly found on Sherry Shuler’s car.

Sherry Shuler said the tracker being found on her car was the incident that made her believe Randy Shuler was stalking her.

She said initially suspected he was stalking her at the end of May 2024 when she received a text from him after she and her daughter had spent the weekend between a friend’s house and a boyfriend’s house.

Sherry Shuler said the texts made her believe Randy Shuler knew her and their daughter’s location throughout the weekend.

After the incident at the restaurant, Sherry Shuler said her father discovered the tracker on her vehicle June 7, 2024. The two took photos of it and called the police before removing it.

Trooper Everett Lesko said he confirmed the device was a tracker and viewed photos of the tracker on the vehicle. He filed two search warrants for Randy Shuler’s phone with the tracking company and found the two were connected, he said.

Randy Shuler’s attorney, Mike Jewart, with Zunder and Associates, argued Lesko never saw the tracker physically on the vehicle and it was not illegal for his client to be associated with the tracking company.

He added Sherry Shuler never saw Randy Shuler at any of the locations.

Lesko responded he found an email on Randy Shuler’s phone showing he purchased the tracker from Amazon.

District Judge Lewis Stoughton held the charge for court.

Randy Shuler’s formal arraignment is scheduled for 1 p.m. June 30 in Butler County Common Pleas Courtroom 2.