A Texas man was arrested in Indianapolis on Sunday after sending threatening messages to WNBA star Caitlin Clark and driving across state lines to allegedly harass her in person.
Michael T. Lewis, 55, from Denton, Texas, is facing charges of stalking and threatening sexual battery against the rookie WNBA player, a Level 5 felony, according to court records.
His arrest followed a series of alarming social media posts directed at Clark, who currently plays for the Indiana Fever. According to a report from ESPN, Lewis’s social media messages included threats of sexual violence alongside claims about following Clark around the Indianapolis area.
One of the messages sent by Lewis reads, “Been driving around your house 3x a day,” referring to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, adding, “But don’t call the law just yet.”
Authorities said Lewis also mentioned attending a Butler basketball game, where Clark is known to be a frequent attendee. “I’m getting tickets; I’m sitting behind the bench,” another message claimed.
The FBI traced the messages to Lewis’s location, leading authorities to discover he was in Indianapolis. Upon learning that he had driven from Texas to Indiana, police showed heightened concern due to the extreme nature of his messages to Clark.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said that Lewis had taken deliberate steps to find Clark in person, in addition to driving cross-country.
“A lot of times people have a tendency to forget they’re talking about real people,” Mears told Fox 59.
“You see a lot of people who post a lot of things online that are sometimes hurtful or derogatory and they maybe don’t think or realize it has an impact on a real person. You can tell from the probable cause affidavit this has had a profound impact on her,” Mears added.
When first questioned by police on January 8, Lewis downplayed the seriousness of his messages, claiming he was merely on vacation in Indianapolis. He also asserted that the threatening posts were “just a joke” and “a fantasy-type thing,” insisting that they weren’t meant to be taken seriously. Despite his claims, law enforcement remained unconvinced, especially after he continued to post about Clark on X even after a warning.
Lewis was arrested at a downtown Indianapolis hotel on Sunday evening. He is currently held at the Marion County Jail on a $50,000 surety bond. The court has issued a no-contact order, preventing Lewis from contacting Clark or coming within 500 feet of the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The order also forbids the man from leaving the state of Indiana until the case is resolved.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 31 to review the case, according to jail records. If convicted, Lewis could face up to six years in prison for stalking the WNBA star.