Names and faces
A Los Angeles jury has acquitted a man of stalking model and reality TV star Kendall Jenner and instead convicted him of trespassing at her secluded Hollywood Hills home. The jury of seven women and five men returned the verdict Monday against Shavaughn McKenzie after a seven-day trial in which Jenner described her fear at finding McKenzie lurking in her driveway and banging on her car window in August. Deputy City Attorney Alex Perez said in court that McKenzie, 25, had tracked Jenner’s whereabouts for 15 months before his arrest. He noted that McKenzie has never said how he learned that Jenner had moved to the hilltop home, which is tucked away from the street and accessible only after driving through a 13-foot gate. Perez said he was disappointed by the verdict and hoped McKenzie would receive treatment. But a defense attorney had urged jurors to reject the stalking charge, saying there was no evidence that McKenzie intended to cause Jenner fear. McKenzie is to be sentenced Nov. 10 on the misdemeanor trespassing charge. He faces up to six months in jail but will likely be released because of credits for good behavior. His attorney, Taylor Shramo, said he hopes to secure mental health treatment for McKenzie, a Florida native who traveled from Georgia to Los Angeles last year and started hanging around outside Jenner’s former home. The verdict is the second time this year that a Los Angeles jury has rejected a stalking case involving a celebrity. In February, a jury acquitted an Ohio man of stalking Gwyneth Paltrow after determining that he did not intend to cause her fear by repeatedly sending letters to her.
A backup dancer from New Jersey who has performed with Rihanna was found Tuesday after she disappeared Saturday, police said. North Bergen police officer Alex Vazquez said Tuesday that Shirlene Quigley had been found and that her family was en route to see her at an undisclosed location. Quigley has also worked with Beyonce and Missy Elliott, who posted on her Twitter account Tuesday afternoon that Quigley was “safe & being treated.” Police said Quigley’s landlord saw the 32-year-old Saturday afternoon leaving her North Bergen residence. They said another person reported seeing Quigley near the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, N.Y., early Sunday. Her car and cellphone were found by New York City police. Before Quigley was found, Rihanna posted an emotional plea online for information leading to the whereabouts of the missing dancer. “This beautiful soul, and former dancer of mine is MISSING!!! My heart aches thinking of how heavy this is on all who love her!” Rihanna posted on Instagram, along with a video of Quigley.