University of Florida Student Arrested For Stalking
Update March 26, 2026: Updated to reflect the outcome of the case and added more details from the arrest report.
In September 2024, six-year University of Florida (UF) student, Paul Jerry Mengelkoch, 30, was arrested and charged with stalking.
University of Florida Police Department (UFPD) Officer Lindsay Page responded to a stalking call at Southwest Recreation Center.
The victim told Page that Mengelkoch had been stalking and harassing her since October 2023.
Mengelkoch aggressively contacted the victim over the phone, so she blocked him.
Mengelkoch started showing up at the victim’s “running practices... her work, and at establishments both on and off UF property," the arrest report describes.
Mengelkoch went as far as to follow the victim to her hometown in Miami.
The victim told police that Mengelkoch would attempt to isolate her from her friend group by creating mistrust. She said she was afraid Mengelkoch would hurt or kidnap her. The victim felt uncomfortable walking to class and Mengelkoch caused her substantial emotional distress. "She does not know what [Mengelkoch] is capable of," states the arrest report.
Mengelkoch posted a bond of $5,000 shortly after his arrest.
In addition to the stalking charge, prosecutors formally filed a battery charge against Mengelkoch for an incident that occurred in February 2024 against the same victim.
In February 2025, Mengelkoch took a no contest plea deal to his charges, which both are misdemeanors. He was convicted of battery, granted a withheld adjudication for stalking, and sentenced to two years of probation. He was ordered to complete community service, take a psycho-sexual evaluation, not contact the victim, and wear a location (GPS) monitor.
On March 31, 2025, Mengelkoch's public defender submitted a motion that requested his GPS monitor be removed because he wanted try out for soccer at Florida International University.
Just one day later, Court Officer Barbra White submitted a probation violation report that says Mengelkoch did not complete a psycho-sexual evaluation, failed to complete required community service hours, and more.
On June 3, 2025, Mengelkoch was arrested on a probation violation warrant. He later entered a plea of admission and his probation was modified.
In August 2025, Mengelkoch submitted another probation modification motion. This one he appeared to write personally instead of using an attorney. The motion reveals Mengelkoch became employed at a church in St. Augustine after doing community service there.
In October 2025, Judge Susan Miller-Jones denied Mengelkoch's motion, stating the victim has "ongoing safety concerns" and that he "placed no compelling reason on the record, citing his desire to engage in distance running as grounds [for] the modification of probation."
