South Carolina man extradited for alleged stalking of Mifflinburg woman

Feb. 21—MIFFLINBURG — The Union County Sheriff's Department extradited a South Carolina man accused of violating a Protection from Abuse order by allegedly stalking a Mifflinburg woman and sending her a glitter bomb in the mail.

In four separate criminal filings, Derek Jon Spontak, 38, of Hunters Trail, Myrtle Beach, S.C., was charged with a felony count of stalking, two misdemeanor counts of harassment and three misdemeanor counts of contempt for violating an order or agreement. The charges were filed by Mifflinburg Patrolman David Shaffer and Mifflinburg Detective Jackson Stroup in the Mifflinburg office of District Judge Jeffrey Mensch.

Borough police were dispatched to a borough home on Dec. 29 for a report that Spontak allegedly showed up at the victim's house and began to harass her. Spontak's criminal history shows that a PFA was filed against him in the past and he had several violations of that order, police said.

The woman said she relocated to Mifflinburg with the assistance of Transitions of PA and Spontak was not supposed to know where she was. She said she was alarmed that he found her, police said.

Spontak allegedly told the woman that he wanted to see her and her son. She tried to close the door, but he allegedly stopped her. He left the residence when she said she was calling the police, police said.

Stroup told Spontak to have no more contact with the woman otherwise it would be considered harassment. Spontak allegedly said he drove from South Carolina to drop off a Christmas gift, police said.

The woman contacted police the next day to report that Spontak allegedly started sending her messages about not caring about being arrested and making threats to harm himself, police said.

After that report, police said Spontak's whereabouts were unknown. Police learned that he was living in his truck and sleeping in parking lots of motels in the Lewisburg area, police said.

On Jan. 2, a PFA was granted in Union County Court against Spontak for the woman and another person, police said.

On Jan. 5, the woman reported that Spotnak allegedly sent them a package containing a glitter bomb. When opened, red glitter flew into the woman's face. The package had a note on it that included a derogatory, misogynistic term for women, police said.

When police made contact with Spontak, he allegedly admitted to sending the package and laughed, police said.

On Jan. 19, the woman reported that Spontak allegedly called her. He is prohibited from having contact with her as per the rules of the PFA, police said.

Borough police learned that Spontak left Pennsylvania to go back to South Carolina. A warrant was issued for his arrest based on the felony stalking charge.

Stroup said he contacted the Warrants Division in the Horry County Sheriff's Department in South Carolina about Spontak's whereabouts.

They picked Spontak up at a hardware store he was known to frequent. The Union County Sheriff's Deputies traveled to South Carolina and extradited Spontak back to Union County on Feb. 13, Stroup said.

Mifflinburg Police Chief Jeffrey Hackenburg in his monthly report to borough council members on Tuesday night praised Union County District Attorney Brian Kerstetter for approving the extradition.

"The new DA is basically saying if you do stupid stuff like this, domestic related wise, we will extradite you," Hackenburg said to council members. "I didn't think he would, I didn't think we would want to get somebody and bring them all the way back from South Carolina. He authorized it. I don't think the defendant thought he would be brought all the way back from South Carolina either."

Spontak was arranged on Feb. 13 in front of Mensch and posted $75,000 bail on Feb. 15 through Professional Bondsman Thaddeus Smith, of Milton. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 4 p.m. March 5.