Kathleen Kearney (Chicago police via Chicago Tribune)Tuesday's early morning headline that a woman had been arrested and charged with stalking Chicago Cubs team president Theo Epstein produced an even scarier revelation during her afternoon hearing.
According to prosecutors, a 44-year-old Canton, Mass., woman named Kathleen Kearney flew to Chicago to look for Epstein at both Wrigley Field and his family's Wrigleyville-area home on Monday morning.
Those actions would be frightening enough, but prosecutors also allege that Kearney engaged in conversation with Epstein's wife before attempting to give the couple's 4-year-old son an early birthday present. (Young Jack Epstein won't celebrate his next birthday until December.)
At about 10 a.m. Monday, Kearney approached Epstein's wife at the home and introduced herself, saying, '"I'm Kathy, you must be Marie,'" according to (assistant state's attorney Lorraine) Scaduto. Thinking Kearney was a friendly neighbor, Epstein's wife, Marie, struck up a conversation with her, Scaduto said.
After Kearney started talking about details of the Epstein's life, including the age of their son, Jack, and said she had a birthday gift for him, Maria Epstein "realized something was amiss" and grew concerned for her safety, Scaduto said. She called her husband after Kearney left, and he contacted Cubs security, which in turn notified the Chicago police.
A source tells the Tribune that Kearney had previous contact with Epstein in Massachusetts when he was general manager of the Boston Red Sox but that an investigation never produced any charges.
Theo Epstein (AP)Kearney was charged on Tuesday with two counts of felony stalking and held on $75,000 bond after being arrested near Epstein's home on Monday night. The Cubs president reportedly identified Kearney in person as someone who had previously given him trouble.
After her arrest Monday, Kearney gave police a handwritten statement admitting she came to Chicago to find Epstein and also brought a backpack and a birthday banner with her to the home as a gift for his son, Scaduto said.
She also told police she had staked out Fenway Park on several occasions when he was with the Red Sox, one time trying to deliver Burger King to him at the stadium's executive offices.
Fortunately, no one from the Epstein family was hurt during the alleged incident. The location of the family's home was well publicized after Epstein reportedly outbid Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp last fall for the 8,000-square-foot, $3.25 million mansion that's located just a few blocks west of Wrigley Field.
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