Homeless Man Arrested on Old Warrant After Allegedly Chasing UC Berkeley Student
Kenneth Kenji Stine, 50, was apprehended on an existing warrant days after being released for a confrontation with a student.
A homeless man accused of chasing a UC Berkeley student into her apartment building has been arrested on an unrelated outstanding warrant. Kenneth Kenji Stine, 50, was taken into custody on Tuesday, days after Berkeley police had initially detained him for the alleged incident with student Eden Winograd but released him due to insufficient evidence for a stalking charge.
Stine is currently in jail on the old warrant while prosecutors review whether the encounter with Winograd warrants new charges. The incident gained widespread attention after Winograd posted surveillance footage of the Sept. 15 event, which garnered millions of views online.
Winograd reported that Stine ran toward her while she was walking her dog. She stated she hurried back to her off-campus apartment building near UC Berkeley, but Stine allegedly followed her and climbed over the security gate shortly after she entered. Winograd managed to escape to her apartment via an elevator.
Berkeley police responded to the initial call more than an hour later, citing that officers were engaged with other priority incidents, including a missing child and a domestic violence call. The following night, Winograd spotted Stine sleeping nearby and contacted the police again. Officers detained him, identified him, and spoke with him, but released him again as the incident was initially treated as misdemeanor trespassing, pending review.
The decision to release Stine led to significant online criticism, prompting Winograd to share edited surveillance footage on TikTok. Investigators stated they could confirm Stine moved in Winograd's direction before entering the building but could not definitively prove he chased her.
Stine has a peculiar online presence. He has previously posted on Facebook about hearing voices and, in 2021, attributed this to a claimed secret DARPA program. On YouTube, he has referred to himself as "God" in one video.
Berkeley police located Stine again on September 22 and discovered the outstanding warrant, which allowed for his arrest and booking into jail. He remains in custody on that warrant, and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office will determine if charges related to the September 15 incident will be filed.