NJ man arrested, accused of stalking Long Island nurse for 3 years

LONG ISLAND (WABC) -- A Long Island nurse claims that she has been stalked, harassed, and has had death threats for three years.

She claims she received violent threats, unwanted gifts, thousands of sexually explicit messages, and even a late-night uninvited visit.

Now, after three years, the suspected stalker was arrested and is expected to face upgraded charges.

She said this all stemmed from what should have been an innocent listing to sell an iPhone on Facebook Marketplace.

"Just living in constant fear," Melanie Smith said.

Smith says a Facebook Marketplace post to sell an iPhone spiraled into a nightmare that she has been dealing with for three years.

"You know, this has escalated from Facebook to finding my phone number to text messages, to finding my parents' address, to packages, to physically showing up," Smith said.

Smith said Michael Pacek messaged her on Facebook about the listing and the New Jersey man allegedly sent sexually explicit images, and she blocked him.

She said Pacek has been relentlessly trying to make contact with her ever since.

"I can never fully just relax because there's always some worry that I can turn my head and he's there or he sends someone to me, like, it's constant," Smith said.

"And he told her, and I quote, 'She'll be the perfect, you'll be the perfect victim. I created you to be the perfect victim,'" Smith's lawyer said.

Pacek was arrested and arraigned on Wednesday in a separate criminal contempt case, where he pleaded not guilty.

The 47-year-old is expected to face upgraded charges, including felony, for the alleged stalking and harassment of Smith, according to prosecutors.

"So even though I don't want to be here and I don't want to see him, I do think it's important, especially for the changes that I want to make in the future. Once this part is over with, for other women and for other people," Smith said.

Smith claims she did not know Pacek at all when he reached out to her in 2023, and she has been reporting him to the police since 2024.

"I feel like no one took me seriously," she said.

The 33-year-old nurse plans on coming face-to-face with her alleged stalker at his court appearance on Thursday.

"I need to stand in my power and show up regardless, because that's what really matters here. But it does. It feels really strange to be in the same room with him," Smith said.

Smith said she will feel safe if Pacek is kept behind bars.

A grand jury indictment is expected to be unsealed in the case on Thursday.

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