BOZEMAN – A Bozeman man accused of burglary pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to related charges of tampering with a witness and stalking.
Brian Luijtjes was charged with burglary in September 2017 after allegedly entering his ex-girlfriend’s residence without permission and confronting her. That case is still pending in Gallatin County District Court.
On March 8, according to court documents, Luijtjes showed up at the woman’s workplace in an attempt to get her to deny the burglary incident happened. Luijtjes reportedly said to her, “If I’m facing 25 years in prison over something, it’s not going to be good for anyone.”
Court documents state surveillance video from the woman’s workplace showed Luijtjes in the store talking to her.
The woman stated that Luijtjes had made prior attempts to contact her at work in the days prior to the alleged March 8 incident, asking co-workers for her email address and phone number, and following her home after work.
The woman additionally reported to law enforcement that she felt afraid because Luijtjes told her he knew where she was currently living. She stated that she has had to move three or four times over the past couple of years to avoid him.
An arrest warrant was issued for Luijtjes, and he turned himself in on March 15. A woman, Alyssa Willard, was also arrested on a related charge of obstructing justice for hindering officers who were trying to arrest Luijtjes.
Luijtjes has prior convictions for disorderly conduct, misdemeanor assault, theft, and property crimes, as well as records for failure to appear and failure to comply with the courts.
After Luijtjes pleaded not guilty in District Court, Judge John Brown continued his bail at $150,000. If he is able to post that amount, he is to have no contact with his ex-girlfriend while the case is pending.
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