A Pennsylvania State University research professor was held in jail for reportedly stalking and prowling at night after a family shared surveillance camera footage with police.
50-year-old Anoop Narayanan of Pennsylvania was denied bail June 16 on charges of repeatedly stalking and causing fear and “loitering and prowling at nighttime”, according to a court document shared Sunday by NorthcentralPa.com. He is scheduled to attend a preliminary hearing Wednesday.
Patton Township Police Department (PTPD) officers responded to a resident’s complaint June 15 about someone allegedly peering through the resident’s apartment window. Officers discovered the suspect and the caller both in the building’s parking area, PTPD Officer Elijah Vardzel said.
The resident accused Narayanan of repeatedly coming to the residence and showed police surveillance video he said he captured “solely due to his concern for his family,” according to the outlet. Narayanan allegedly sidled up to the victim’s window, crouching and sitting there to avoid triggering a motion-activated light in the video before the victim challenged him, according to footage viewed by police.
Narayanan is a research professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State University, according to the institution’s directory.
Narayanan appeared at approximately 10:10 p.m. June 8 and at approximately 9:30 p.m. April 25, the caller had previously alleged. The court document recorded April 25 as the date of the alleged offenses. (RELATED: ‘I Grabbed A Beer’: Father Catches Suspected ‘Peeping Tom,’ Clubs Him With Louisville Slugger)
Penn State research professor accused of stalking family near State College – Penn State professor Anoop Narayanan faces stalking charges after being caught watching a family through their window near State College multiple … – https://t.co/M3yS5RBmXi
— The Postdoctoral (@thepostdoctoral) June 18, 2025
The police informed Narayanan of his Miranda rights but he waived them, allegedly telling officers that he did not reside in the building but liked walking there. The police then told him of the alleged video and arrested him.
As officers handcuffed Narayanan, he allegedly apologized to the caller. He also confessed to watching the man’s family — including the man’s four- or five-year-old child — on three or four occasions, according to authorities.
The Daily Caller reached out to Narayanan’s office but received no response as of the time of this report.
