Local Ex-Cop Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Repeated Stalking

A judge revoked the probation of a former police officer accused of harassing and stalking his ex-girlfriend and sentenced him to up to 19 years in prison this week, according to court records.

Walter Pacheco, 29, of Pleasant Hill, repeatedly violated a court order that barred him from having contact with the woman, including after he was convicted of burglary, stalking, tampering with a witness and willful injury in December 2022. For those convictions, he initially received suspended prison sentences and probation.

Pacheco — who is sometimes identified by the surname Pacheco Belen — is a former police officer who worked in Carroll and Eagle Grove despite similar allegations of harassment by another woman. That did not result in criminal charges but was the subject of a protective order request that stemmed from his alleged threat to kill the other woman.

He was forced to resign from the Carroll Police Department and was fired by Eagle Grove after brief stints of employment in each town. His criminal charges happened later in the Des Moines metro area.

Editor's note: Pacheco was fired by Eagle Grove after turning his body camera off repeatedly while on duty, and because of disturbing comments about shooting civilians which his body camera captured.

In August 2023, a judge sentenced Pacheco to 24 days in jail for attempting to contact his more recent ex-girlfriend at her workplace. The judge warned him that further violations of the no-contact order might result in prison.

“The court needs to draw a line in the sand,” District Judge Jeffrey Farrell wrote. “Defendant is a smart guy and has to figure this out right now. The court is not going to mess around with repeated no-contact order violations.”

But in October, Pacheco allegedly tried to approach the woman at a public gym, according to a pending criminal charge. Employees of the gym escorted her to her car, where Pacheco tried to speak with her again, court records show. She drove home and later, when she left for work, noticed Pacheco parked near her residence, watching her. She also saw Pacheco’s mother drive past.

“Pacheco can be seen in cellphone video going out of his way to follow the victim,” a criminal complaint says.

The woman then went to a police station to report the incident, and Pacheco has been jailed since.

On Tuesday, District Judge Sarah Crane revoked Pacheco’s probation and sentenced him to up to 19 years in prison. Those who are imprisoned can reduce their time by about half with good behavior, and they can be paroled earlier.

Pacheco’s felony stalking charge from the October incident is still pending. A trial is set for April 22, and he faces up to five years in prison if he is convicted.

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