Alleged Stalker Surrenders

Roger Bartell, 51, of Cedar Key surrendered to Levy County Sheriff's officers January 5, based on an arrest warrant for multiple charges that included aggravated stalking. Judge Joseph Smith had set bail at $60,000 when issuing the warrant for Bartell's arrest. The stalking charge is a felony, and according to Captain Chuck Bastak of the Sheriff's Department, Bartell could be sentenced to up to seven years if convicted on all counts.

The arrest follows a November 26, 2006 incident during which Bartell was shot in the jaw by the stalking victim. During investigation by police officers, a second gun which was owned by Bartell was found in the home where he was shot. According to a sheriff's department spokesman, Bartell is recuperating from his wound at his father's home in Orange Lake.