Michal Pacek, New Jersey man accused of stalking Suffolk nurse, arrested on outstanding warrants

The New Jersey man accused of stalking and harassing a Suffolk woman for the past three years, bombarding her with sexually explicit messages, violent threats and unwanted gifts, was arrested Wednesday morning on six outstanding warrants, court records and prosecutors confirmed.

Michal Pacek, 47, of Bayonne, was picked up at his home by Jersey City police and will be held overnight at Hudson County jail before facing an extradition hearing Thursday in Jersey City Municipal Court, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.

If Pacek, who has outstanding warrants for bail jumping and criminal contempt related to his alleged stalking of Melanie Smith, waives extradition, he'll be sent to Suffolk to face charges, said Emily O'Neill, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office. If Pacek declines to waive extradition, prosecutors will expedite a governor's warrant, authorizing law enforcement to arrest an individual while awaiting extradition, O'Neill said.

'Relieved and encouraged'

Pacek's arrest comes after Newsday exclusively reported about his prolonged campaign of harassment of Smith, a registered nurse he has never met, while repeatedly slipping through gaps in New York’s criminal justice and mental health systems.

"Melanie and her family are relieved and encouraged at the news that the man who has terrorized her for the last three years is back in custody where he belongs," said Adam Uris, Smith's attorney. "At the same time she understands this is the beginning of a long process, one with which she intends to fully cooperate. She hopes that the Suffolk County DA’s Office will use every tool at its disposal to see that this man is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law so that she and others like her are protected from this dangerous man. Because this is not the first time this man has been arrested, she will not be able to fully exhale until he is sentenced to prison time."

Newsday's coverage of Pacek's alleged harassment did little to slow his messages to Smith. 

On May 14, the day after the story was published, Pacek sent Smith a series of texts counting down from 10, Uris said. 

When the countdown hit 1, Pacek shared a pin, notifying Smith a package was at her parents' Suffolk home.

Suffolk police arrived at the house, Uris said, and found a black dress inside a box addressed to "Sporty Panties."

A message left with Pacek Wednesday was not returned, and charging documents do not indicate if he has an attorney.

Pacek has a prior arrest in South Carolina for arson, which was later dismissed, and a conviction for pointing a gun at another individual.

Prolonged harassment

In May 2023, Smith, who provides in-home nursing care, attempted to sell an old iPhone on Facebook Marketplace and received what she described as a bizarre message from a man she'd never met filled with graphic sexual remarks.

Smith blocked the number but got more messages from different accounts of a similar nature. Each time, she blocked the individual but others popped up, Smith said.

In the months that followed, she received a flurry of calls, text messages, social media posts and emails to her business website ranging from sexually explicit and violent to rants about politicians and child sexual abuse rings.

On May 14, 2024, more than a year after the harassment began, Pacek formally introduced himself.

"Mel: My name is Michal Pacek, and as you probably came to realization by now you have been a victim of harassment," Pacek wrote in a text message. "I have carefully chosen you to be a 'victim' in a social experiment which was intended to showcase differences in the eyes of the law between rich politicians and influential people vs. poor members of the public. Long story short, I have built you to be a perfect victim."

Pacek later showed up at Smith's parents' house, taunting her family, while sending dozens of unsolicited gifts, including an $800 bouquet of roses, more than $500 in cash, 40 pieces of lingerie and sexual paraphernalia.

Smith filed dozens of police reports, secured a pair of orders of protection — a third was rejected because of a "lack of a relationship" between the two — and Pacek was twice arrested on charges of stalking, aggravated harassment and violating orders of protection, records show. 

Eluding justice

The charges, all misdemeanors, led to 3 months in jail before Pacek, who never physically harmed Smith, was sent to a psychiatric facility after a court-ordered evaluation determined he wasn't mentally fit to stand trial, records show.

Pacek was released from the facility in less than a day, Uris said, triggering the criminal case and order of protection to be automatically dismissed.

Last year, Pacek was arrested at Suffolk's Second Precinct in Huntington after attempting to file a complaint against police. He was charged with second-degree aggravated harassment and third- and fourth-degree stalking, all misdemeanors, records show.

On the eve of trial, Pacek's attorney again requested a psychological fitness exam, Uris said. When Pacek failed to show up for that exam, a warrant for his arrest was issued for bail jumping and criminal contempt, records indicate.

But police failed to arrest Pacek and the order of protection expired in April, records show.

Suffolk police said state law prohibits them from executing an out-of-state warrant on misdemeanor charges, limiting their options to arrest Pacek.

Pacek was arrested Wednesday as part of New Jersey's fugitive from justice program, officials said. Jersey City police did not respond to requests for comment.