Berkeley, California — A frightening encounter involving a UC Berkeley student who said she was chased into her apartment building has drawn widespread attention online after surveillance footage of the incident received millions of views. The man accused in the confrontation has now been taken into custody, but not on new charges related to the alleged pursuit.

Kenneth Kenji Stine, 50, was arrested Tuesday after Berkeley police located him and discovered an outstanding warrant from an unrelated case. His arrest came days after officers had detained him following the September 15 incident involving student Eden Winograd, then released him while investigators reviewed whether there was enough evidence to support a stalking charge.

Stine remains jailed on the existing warrant as prosecutors consider whether the confrontation outside Winograd’s apartment warrants additional charges.

Student Says Man Followed Her to Apartment

Winograd said she was walking her dog around 8 p.m. on September 15 when Stine allegedly began running toward her.

She immediately headed back toward her off-campus apartment building near UC Berkeley, but said the man continued following her.

Security footage appears to show Winograd entering the building and Stine climbing over a security gate just seconds later.

The footage later became widely circulated online after Winograd posted an edited version on TikTok. The video reportedly accumulated more than 2 million views, turning the incident into a major online discussion about campus safety and the police response.

Winograd described the experience as terrifying.

“My heart sank. I was out of breath,” she told NBC Bay Area. “I don’t want to be chased and have to watch someone claw their way up a wall to get into where I live.”

She managed to reach an elevator and eventually escaped to her apartment.

Police Response Came More Than an Hour Later

According to reporting cited in the case, Berkeley police took more than an hour to respond to the initial incident.

Authorities said officers were handling other priority calls at the time, including a report involving a missing autistic child and a domestic violence incident.

The delayed response became one of the central issues surrounding the case after Winograd shared the surveillance footage publicly.

The following evening, she said she spotted Stine sleeping near Berkeley Way and Walnut Street and contacted police again.

Officers detained him, identified him and spoke with him about the previous night’s incident. However, he was ultimately released while the case was treated as a misdemeanor trespassing matter and sent for further review.

Viral Video Raised More Questions

After Stine was released, Winograd posted additional surveillance footage online.

One slowed-down section appeared to show Stine pulling an object from his pocket while moving in her direction. However, investigators said they could establish that Stine ran toward Winograd before entering the building but could not definitively establish that he had chased her.

That distinction became important because authorities were still determining whether the available evidence supported a stalking charge.

Winograd expressed frustration with the handling of the incident.

“You guys don’t do anything until it’s too late,” she said. “This happens too often to too many people.”

The video’s rapid spread subsequently brought renewed attention to the case.

Police Find Stine Again

Berkeley police located Stine Tuesday and discovered the outstanding warrant, providing the legal basis for taking him into custody.

He was booked into jail on that warrant.

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Authorities have not indicated that he is currently being held on new stalking or trespassing charges connected to Winograd’s apartment incident.

The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case and will determine whether additional charges should be filed based on the September 15 encounter.

Stine’s Online Posts Draw Attention

As the case gained attention, people also began examining Stine’s online presence.

He has reportedly made posts on Facebook discussing what he described as “hearing voices in my head continuously.” In a 2021 post, he attributed those experiences to what he claimed was a secret DARPA program capable of reading and transmitting people’s thoughts.

On YouTube, Stine has also referred to himself as “God” in one video.

Those online posts have added another unusual element to a case already attracting significant public attention. However, the posts themselves do not establish what occurred during the September 15 confrontation.

For now, Stine remains in custody on the outstanding warrant while prosecutors review the evidence from the apartment incident.

The investigation will determine whether the available surveillance footage, witness accounts and other evidence are sufficient to support additional criminal charges.

What do you think about the police response and the latest development in this case? Share your thoughts in the comments below.