Escondido man denies stalking charge

Marco Antonio Carapia, 34, pleaded not guilty today, March 17, to felony stalking of the mother of his two children. “In his mind, I was screwing everybody,” a woman identified as Ashley told a judge.

Ashley is 30 years old and has five children; her oldest three are no longer in her custody. She currently cares for her two youngest, a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old; those children were fathered by Carapia. “We always fought,” Ashley testified.

Last November, Ashley believed that Carapia was using methamphetamine, so she obtained a restraining order against him. “’Cause, like, I don’t want to lose the kids,” Ashley said. The woman admitted she has used meth.

Ashley claimed that Carapia removed parts of her car engine to disable the vehicle; and he used a cell-phone app to find her whereabouts by texting her; and he hid in bushes near her apartment on West Vermont Avenue to confront her. He called her a “ho” and a “tramp” and a “slut,” the woman claimed.

Carapia has confronted Ashley and her male friends and made more vulgar accusations, she said. A note reportedly left by Carapia stated “shame on u” for “screwing old men for rent money.” A copy of the note was presented as evidence during the preliminary hearing.

The case against Carapia has been charged as felony stalking instead of multiple misdemeanor violations of a restraining order.

Records suggest that Carapia has a history of convictions in San Diego County dating back to 1999: drugs, burglary, stolen vehicle, and felony evasion with wanton disregard.

Carapia was most recently arrested February 4 and is held in lieu of $250,000 bail. He is next due in court on April 21.