Ziad Nashed

When confronted by his estranged wife about why he appeared to be tracking her, a former Landenberg resident allegedly said that “he couldn’t help himself,” New Garden Township Police said.

On Thursday, May 1, Ziad Nashed, 52, of Cherry Hill, N.J., was served with a protection-from-abuse order at the New Garden Police station and arrested on charges that include stalking, prowling and loitering, and harassment, police said. In a news release, police gave this account of the alleged crimes:

At approximately 12:30 a.m., on Monday, April 28, police officers responded to a suspicious person and/or vehicle complaint in the 1200 block of Delpa Drive. The victim advised that she had received a message from a neighbor that her estranged husband’s vehicle had been parked unoccupied down the street from her residence for a couple of hours.

Upon arriving, officers located the vehicle, which was positioned out of the line of sight of the victim’s residence, and within minutes, Nashed approached the vehicle carrying a pair of binoculars. He identified himself as a resident, and when questioned about why his vehicle was parked down the street, he told police that he and his wife were separated and that he was “watching his wife to see what she was up to,” the release said.

The victim told police that she and Nashed have been separated since March and that she contacted police after receiving her neighbor’s message. She said when she looked outside her residence, she saw Nashed walk from out of the darkness of her neighbor’s property back toward where the police had just arrived and activated their emergency lights, the release said.

In addition, the victim related that she had recently recovered electronic equipment from the interior compartments of the vehicle she drives, which she believes Nashed was using to audio tape and track her whereabouts. The victim further related that when she confronted Nashed about his behavior; he told her that “he couldn’t stop himself,” the release said.

Nashed was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Matthew Seavey, who set bail at 10 percent of $10,000, which Nashed posted, court records said. He was released to await a preliminary hearing on May 9, records said.