Marshall University Campus Stalker, Arrested & Charged

A man arrested near the Marshall University campus after he was reported for allegedly stalking a student is facing additional charges.

Michael Hankins, 40, was; charged with trespassing (misdemeanor) and forgery (felony). On Tuesday, he was; charged with stalking (following), stalking (harassment) and; two counts of possession of a controlled substance, all misdemeanors.

According to the criminal complaint filed by Marshall University police, video surveillance shows the suspect following the victim in a vehicle Sunday on Maple Avenue from the corner of 19th Street to 18th Street, where he exited the vehicle and proceeded to follow the victim on foot.

As police searched for a suspect, Sgt. S. Ballou found Hankins, who matched the suspect description; in the area driving west in the 1700 block of 6th Avenue in Huntington.

Ballou attempted to stop the vehicle, but Hankins allegedly did not pull over until the 500 block of 13th Street in Huntington. The stalking victim was; brought to the scene and identified Hankins as the offender. The victim picked the suspect out of a photo lineup of six photographs Monday.

A separate complaint filed by Huntington police also details an encounter with a separate victim on the same day, in which the victim describes the suspect following her in her vehicle from the corner of 20th Street and 6th Avenue to her apartment building in the 1400 block of 3rd Avenue.

The victim told police that once she parked her vehicle, she saw the suspect standing behind her vehicle and staring at her in the rear-view mirror. The victim then drove away to avoid the suspect.

Hankins’ vehicle was; searched after it was towed, and police allegedly recovered crystal meth, a glass pipe and marijuana.

Hankins is; known to Marshall University police as a repeated stalker on campus. He was; identified by other female students in connection with similar incidents in January 2017 and January 2016.