Last Monday at around 12:20 p.m., Jennifer Aniston got quite a scare. A man drove through the gate of the actress’s home in the exclusive Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles. After giving a warning, police arrested him before he entered the house, on suspicion of burglary. However, hours later, the real story emerged: the man was stalking the actress, whom he had been pursuing for over two years. This Thursday, he appeared for a first hearing before a judge, who ordered a mental evaluation to determine whether he is competent to stand trial for the charges against him: felony stalking and vandalism.
The man, Jimmy Wayne Carwyle, 48, appeared in court accompanied by his lawyer, Toral Malik, and clearly showing signs of mental health problems. He appeared wrapped in what appeared to be a duvet, which only covered the bottom half of his body. He sat in a small box adjacent to the main room, separated by glass, and pleaded not guilty.
Carwyle, a Mississippi native, did not speak during the hearing, according to The New York Post. The judge in charge of the case, Keith L. Schwartz, questioned whether Carwyle would understand one of the prosecutors’ demands, that he remain in prison and not approach Aniston again. Malik responded somewhat concisely: “I don’t think keeping him away from Aniston is an issue right now.” Finally, the judge ruled: “You are not to have any contact with Jennifer Aniston under any conditions.” In any case, all proceedings have been suspended pending a mental evaluation.
Prosecutors have alleged that Carwyle has been stalking Aniston since March 2023, with an endless stream of social media messages, emails, and voicemails. He has even posted about her on social media, calling her his wife. The latest incident occurred Monday, when he drove up to the Friends and The Morning Show star’s doorstep in his old Chrysler. After crashing into the property’s gate and driving through, a security guard managed to stop him in the driveway and alerted police, who arrested him. He did not resist. Initially, authorities thought it was a robbery until they learned the story.
The actress was at the property when the incident occurred, as police explained: “There was a security guard on premises who was able to detain that suspect until officers arrived, at which time they took him into custody without incident,” confirmed the officer who responded. “The resident was home at the time.”
Only the attacker himself suffered minor injuries. After his arrest, prosecutors said he had caused “substantial damage” to the property, a home Aniston has owned since 2012. Bail was set at $150,000.
In a statement, Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said: “Stalking is a crime that can quickly escalate from harassment to dangerous, violent actions, threatening the safety of victims and our communities. My office is committed to aggressively prosecuting those who stalk and terrorize others, ensuring they are held accountable.”
Carwyle’s next hearing will take place in two weeks, on May 22, in a specialized mental health court. The charges of harassment and vandalism could be increased to threatening to cause bodily harm, which could result in a three-year prison sentence. As with Thursday’s hearing, which was attended by one of the actress’s lawyers, who declined to answer questions, Aniston is not expected to be present at the next hearing.
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