Accused Stalker Pleads Not Guilty

A Ventura man accused of stalking young women in shopping centers and wedging knife blades into the seats of their cars pleaded not guilty Wednesday to 28 felony charges.

A July 14 preliminary hearing is scheduled to determine if there is sufficient evidence for Gary Jean Muntifering, 53, to stand trial on 14 counts each of attempted mayhem and assault with a deadly weapon.

Muntifering remains in the Ventura County Jail, with bail set at $250,000.

He was arrested last week by Burbank police, who said they found dozens of 1 1/2-inch commercial knife blades in his pickup truck when they took him into custody. Simi Valley police, who joined Burbank in an investigation because the two agencies had received reports of similar incidents in women’s cars, said they have linked Muntifering with more than a dozen attacks at shopping centers in Simi Valley between June 10 and 14.

Prosecutors said Muntifering placed the industrial blades into the car seats of Ventura County women while they were shopping at Simi Valley stores. He made no attempt to approach the victims, who ranged in age from 17 to 32, investigators said.

Seven of the women suffered cuts to their legs when they sat in their cars, investigators said. Several of the wounds required stitches.

Police said Muntifering only targeted young women who had left their cars unlocked.