Placer County man will serve over 5 years in prison after stalking 16-year-old girl

A Placer County man was sentenced to five years and four months in prison Thursday for stalking a 16-year-old girl while she was out on a run last fall.

Gregory Hyde, a 30-year-old Penryn resident, followed and threatened the teenage girl on her run in September 2021. The girl recorded part of the incident on her cell phone, and ultimately escaped by climbing a fence, crawling through blackberry bushes and hiding in a backyard, according to a news release from the Placer County District Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said the victim’s video of the incident led Hyde to plead guilty to felony stalking.

“She trusted her instinct and turned on her camera, capturing much of the crime,” said Deputy District Attorney Benjamin Eggert in the release. “This was very useful evidence. She handled this perfectly.”

Hyde also pleaded guilty to possessing ammunition as a felon, and admitted that he had a prior conviction that counted as a strike under California’s three-strike policy.