Two Indiana County residents are facing charges in Blair County in a stalking case that first came to light three months ago.
The charges filed this week relate to an ongoing investigation that resulted in charges in March against 46-year-old Donald Byers of Hollidaysburg. He was accused of stalking 22-year-old Bailey Brendlinger of Indiana and a coworker, both co-workers at Norfolk Southern Railway. Police were alerted by the male victim, who was involved in a romantic relationship with Brendlinger, that a GPS tracking device had been attached to the underside of his vehicle. The device was traced to Byers, who is charged with two counts of stalking repeatedly, repeated anonymous harassment, disorderly conduct, and criminal mischief.
Police allege that further examination of digital exchanges between Byers and Brendlinger show that Brendlinger not only knew about the GPS device, she had offered to help Byers pay for it, and that she was also involved in an intimate relationship with Byers, including sending him pictures of herself. Brendlinger is now charged with two counts of repeated stalking, harassment, disorderly conduct, and conspiracy.
Charges have also been filed against a Cherry Tree man for allegedly supplying Byers with a Norfolk Southern password to access company information after Byers was fired in 2019 for stalking the male victim.
Both Byers and Brendlinger are on the court calendar in Blair County next month. Byers has waived his case to Common Pleas Court and a preliminary conference is scheduled for July 19th. Brendlinger is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing before District Judge Paul M. Aigner on July 13th.
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