Orange County, Fla. – The man known for stalking popstar Rihanna has announced his candidacy to run for Mayor of Orange County. Robert Melanson, 29, filed paperwork mid-December to get his name on the ballot. His opponent will likely use Robert Melanson’s conviction arising from lurking on Rihanna’s roof against him. The charges resulted in a restraining order.
“Please don’t be frightened if I approach you to sign a petition to put my name on the ballot for Mayor,” Melanson wrote on Twitter. “It’s a good way to stay in shape.”
Additionally, Melanson compared his rooftop lurking incident to “hotshot ‘motorcycle kid stuff,’ it’s no big deal,” in a series of text messages the 28 year-old sent to the Orlando Sentinel.
In January 2016 Melanson announced he would be running for a seat as an Orange County Commissioner to replace incumbent Pete Clarke. That was an unsuccessful campaign.
About Robert Melanson
Robert Melanson is a former peanut vendor and famed stalker who was arrested for lurking on Rihanna’s roof in 2013. Although he received merely 8.5 percent of the vote when challenging the incumbent commissioner, the result didn’t deter him.
Rihanna v. Robert Melanson
Melanson climbed an 8-foot wall before climbing up the singer’s roof. After 121 days in jail for violating his probation, he was released. Melanson drove his motorcycle from Massachusetts to the pop star’s home where police discovered it outside with a flat tire. Melanson’s backpack, which was full of clothes and toiletries, was confiscated from the rooftop. Authorities stated he told them that he was staying on the roof because his motorcycle disappeared and he had nowhere to go. Melanson claimed he did not know that was the home of Rihanna. His phone contained details about Rihanna and her address. Furthermore, he spent three or four days on the roof before being apprehended. The singer was on tour at the time.