SW Dade Man Accused Of Harassing Neighbors Gets Probation
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A Southwest Miami-Dade man accused of harassing his neighbors will serve 5 years probation with a GPS monitor.
Mitchell Igelko had been charged with stalking and criminal mischief. In court Thursday, Igelko entered a plea of no contest.
Tensions were high in the court room as Igelko's neighbors, who said that they had been threatened by him, addressed the judge.
"He's torn apart our family and our life," said Kelly Derhagopian who said she and her husband had to move out of the neighborhood because Igelko made life so unbearable. "I couldn't go out in my front yard. We couldn't live in our house anymore. The verbal threats, the nails, it went on and on. We would get run off the street in our neighborhood," she added.
"He threatened to kill me many times," said Francisco Torres outside the court room. "I was lucky that in one day I caught him, you know, with a video recorder.
Torres said on the video, Igelko can been seen throwing nails onto the neighbors driveways and in the street in front of their homes.
Neighbors said Igelko, who owns a lawn care service, deliberately killed their grass by spraying a chemical on it, causing thousands of dollars in damage.
"My grass was completely polluted," said Torres. "I not only had to change the grass but I had to remove the soil."
Torres said he was upset that Igelko won't serve jail time.
"He pled 'no contest' which means he's not admitting to the guilt, but he is accepting the court's punishment," explained Eric Padron, Igelko's attorney who said his client suffers from mental illness.
After the sentencing, Igelko said he was relieved.
"I'm very happy that it is all over and that I can move on with my life," said Igelko.
Igelko has since moved from the neighborhood. He's been ordered to not have contact with any of his former neighbors whom he was accused of harassing. If he breaks the rule, he could face prison time.
