West LA

West LA Man Arrested on Suspicion of Stalking Doctors at VA Medical Centers

Authorities say a campaign of harassment began in 2011 with threats sent to two doctors at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affair Medical Center.

A man was arrested at a West LA apartment.
NBCLA

A man who recently moved into an apartment near the West Los Angeles Veterans Affair Medical Center has been arrested on a federal stalking charge that alleges a campaign of harassment against two female doctors at the hospital.

In a statement, authorities said Gueorgui Hristov Pantchev, 49, of West Los Angeles, was arrested Friday and is expected to make his initial appearance Friday afternoon. A search warrant was carried out at a West LA apartment Friday morning.

It was not immediately clear whether he has an attorney. 

Pantchev was charged in a criminal complaint that details his conduct, which began in 2011 with threats sent to two West Los Angeles VA doctors.

In 2014, Pantchev was charged by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and convicted nine counts of stalking and witness intimidation involving the two doctors. After serving a state prison sentence, Pantchev was paroled three years later and barred from the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center.

He then began seeking medical services at the VA's Loma Linda center. He allegedly began stalking, harassing and intimidating' three employees there, according to court documents.

Last year, Pantchev sought care at the West LA location and allegedly began sending intimidating communications to colleagues of the two doctors he was previously accused of harassing, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. He is accusing of distributing hundreds of lewd, sexually explicit and false fliers featuring pictures of the doctors throughout West Los Angeles, according to federal prosecutors.

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VA Police officials restricted Pantchev's access to the two medical facilities by requiring him to have an escort when arriving for an appointment, according to prosecutors.

After his parole ended in September, he visited the West LA center three times, one of which resulted in his arrest for trespassing and battery on a police officer for allegedly spitting in his face, prosecutors said.

If convicted of the stalking charge alleged in the complaint, Pantchev would face up to five years in federal prison.

Members of the public who have information about Pantchev's activities or believe they may be victims were encouraged to contact the FBI at 310-477-6565.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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