Luke Walton's stalker pleads no contest, sentenced to probation

An El Segundo woman charged with stalking Lakers forward Luke Walton pleaded no contest today and was ordered to stay away from him for three years, prosecutors said.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Ann Ambrose, a stalking unit prosecutor, said Stacy Elizabeth Beshear, 35, entered the plea to one count of misdemeanor stalking. Beshear was sentenced to three years probation, ordered to attend weekly counseling sessions for one year and ordered to stay away from Walton.

As part of the sentence, she must also stay away from his home, wherever he practices with the Lakers and team games for three years.

Beshear was arrested Sept. 18 after she pulled up to Walton's car and pretended to fire gunshots at him with her hand, officials said.

Beshear followed Walton from practice to his home and repeatedly asked him to sign basketballs after he'd already done so, according to Manhattan Beach police. Beshear temporarily stopped following Walton after police officers confronted her. But shortly after, Beshear began following Walton and did so for a large part of the day, officials said. At one point Beshear drove side by side with Walton, gestured at him, extended her hand out the window and acted like she was cocking a gun, officials said.

Walton told The Times that he was bewildered by it all. "When I kept seeing her around, I knew it was serious and I knew I had to do something. That's when I contacted the police." he said. "I just can't believe how crazy all this stuff is."

-- Richard Winton