A Texas man has been arrested after he allegedly sent disturbing messages to Caitlin Clark and drove from his home state to Indianapolis, where Clark plays for the Indiana Fever.
According to court documents that were obtained by Matt Christy of FOX 59, 55-year-old Michael Thomas Lewis of Denton, Texas, was arrested on Sunday and charged with one count of stalking threatening sexual battery or death, which is a Level 5 felony.
Authorities say Lewis sent Clark messages on social media from Dec. 16 through Jan. 2. Some of the messages were sexually violent in nature. Lewis wrote in some of the messages that he was planning to travel to Indiana to watch Clark play. Lewis said in one message that he was “getting tickets” and “sitting behind the bench.”
In another message, Lewis claimed to have driven by Clark’s house multiple times.
“Been driving around your house 3x a day,” Lewis wrote, according to the documents. “But don’t call the law just yet, the publc is allowed to drive by gainbridge..aka Caitlin’s Fieldhouse.”
The FBI traced Lewis’ most recent messages to Indianapolis, which is when the behavior became “especially concerning” to authorities. Police spoke with Clark, who said she had become fearful after receiving the messages and went as far as to alter her appearance when she went out in public.
Prosecutors wrote in a Marion County Superior Court filing that Lewis made a threat “with the intent to place Caitlin Clark in reasonable fear of sexual battery.”
FBI agents made a welfare check on Lewis after tracing some of his recent messages to a hotel in downtown Indianapolis. Lewis claimed that he had traveled to the city on vacation and that he viewed himself as being in “an imaginary relationship” with Clark. He called his messages a “joke,” and police warned Lewis to stop.
The messages continued after authorities paid their initial visit to Lewis, which led to him being arrested.
Clark averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game in her first WNBA season. She led the league in assists, was named a WNBA All-Star and won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Clark was the target of some ridiculous criticism from her peers and other members of the WNBA during her first season in the league.
