Upgraded Charges In Stalking Case

The Hampton Bays man accused of stalking a Hampton Bays High School employee and bringing a rifle on to school grounds faces upgraded charges, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini’s office.

Southampton Town police said Todd Tuttle, 46, was arrested April 18 after being spotted by a school employee at a lacrosse game and then refusing to leave. He was subsequently found with ammunition in his pocket and a matching rifle in his truck in the school’s parking lot, police said. The incident allegedly stems from a domestic dispute between his family and that of the victim’s family.

Tuttle pleaded not guilty last Friday in criminal court to a six-count indictment including an additional stalking charge and second-degree criminal contempt. The charges were added to the indictment in connection with an incident after his initial arrest in which he drove past the school in violation of an order of protection, said Sini spokeswoman Sheila Kelly.

All together, Tuttle faces charges including criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds, second-degree criminal contempt, and three counts of fourth-degree stalking. If convicted on the weapons charge alone, he could face up to four years in a state prison.

His attorney, James Vlahadamis of Hampton Bays, could not be reached for comment.

Tuttle is being held at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility on $20,000 cash or $40,000 bond, Kelly said. He is scheduled to appear in criminal court in Riverhead on June 1.

peggy@indyeastend.com