I-Team: Costume-shop owner accused of cyberstalking
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Woman Accused Of Cyberstalking
A Providence business owner is accused of using a computer to harass a competitor.
NBC 10
Ann Bruno, accused of cyberstalking a competitor, wears a costume while mocking questions from the NBC 10 I-Team.
CRANSTON, R.I.—A Providence business owner is accused of using a computer to harass a competitor.
Cranston police arrested Ann Bruno on Monday. It’s the first time Cranston police have used the state’s cyberstalking law.
Police said they caught Bruno in the act of allegedly cyberstalking and harassing her competitor.
Tracy Sisson owns the Absolute Fun business in Cranston.
For the past year, she’s been getting dozens of harassing phone calls a day at her business and her home.
She said she suspected the calls were being made by a woman who is a competitor of hers and with whom she’s had some professional differences in the past.
Sisson said she received 50 to 60 calls a day from different people. Fed up with harassing phone calls, losing sleep and any peace of mind, Sisson called Cranston police a few months ago.
With Sisson’s help, investigators said they caught Bruno, 59, who owns Bruna Puppets and Costumes in Cranston, in the act of cyberstalking Sisson using a computer at the Cranston Public Library.
“She was basically engaging in signing Mrs. Sisson up for inquires and questions, debt-relief programs, which later on resulted in her receiving an abundance of telephone calls at her place of business,“ said Col. Stephen McGrath, chief of the Cranston police.
Bruno told the I-Team to meet her at her store on Pocassett Avenue in Providence to get her side of the story.
When the I-Team walked in, she put on a costume mask and mocked the I-Team’s questions. (Watch the entire unedited interview.)
Bruno apparently isn’t taking the crime seriously, but Sisson said she is glad Cranston police did.
“I’m still a little bit nervous because I feel that someone who would go to that extreme—go to a library three or four times a week to do something like this—and to go to so many sites and to torture me, the way that she did, because it is torture,“ Sisson said.
Despite the theatrics on the part of Bruno, the I-Team tried to get her side of the story.
A co-worker later called NBC 10 and said Bruno is witty and “a little out there.“
Bruno is charged with cyberstalking and harassing.
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Reader Reactions
Wow, she just wanted a free tv spot for her store. If I ever would need a costume, I would now never go to that store. So, her plan back fired!
She needs to wake up and get serious about the charges.
My cousin Jeff did this to me. He was basically being immature, signing me up for Terminex, Real Estate agencies etc online. He even went to a home show at Twin River and put my name, phone number, email etc into several booths there… I was harassed for days. I tried to explain to him that if he continues I would bring in a third party… Luckily he stopped after several family member interventions LOL. It’s nice to know that there is actually a law for this now! What triggered it was he didn’t like not having things go his way or the silent treatment… so he tried to “gain control” and mess with me. It’s a controlling psychological thing I guess. I wouldn’t think anything should come of this other than a phone call from the police at first or restraining order—- to actually have criminal charges for something like this the first time is a bit much.
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