From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE — The incident leading to the arrest of former television meteorologist Mark Prater stemmed from alleged incidents that occurred in Trussville, according to Trussville Police Lt. Phil Dillon.
Dillon said the victim filed a report with the Trussville Police Department.
According to court documents, after several days of constant harassment that began on Nov. 24, Prater allegedly made 17 calls and sent 37 emails to the victim on Tuesday morning.
The victim also stated in the petition for protection from abuse that Prater had threatened to take away the victim’s child by going through the child’s father and threatened to come after her daughter in a voicemail.
In addition to threats, Prater also harassed the victim several times at her Trussville home, the court documents stated.
Mark Prater is in the Jefferson County jail and has been charged with a felony.
See related: Mark Prater out at CBS 42
See related: Former TV meteorologist jailed on domestic charges
According to the Trussville Police, on Dec. 4, a felony arrest warrant for second degree domestic violence stalking was taken out on Prater, 49, of Moody. The bond was set at $100,000.
On Dec. 5, the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department, along with the Moody and Trussville police departments, served the warrant and Prater was taken into custody by St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department. The suspect was later transferred to the Jefferson County jail.
Jail records indicate that the charges stem from an incident that took place on Nov. 29. Jail records also indicate that his current address is in Moody.
According to the Alabama criminal code, a person commits the crime of domestic violence in the second degree if the person commits the crime of assault in the second degree; the crime of intimidating a witness; the crime of stalking; the crime of burglary in the second or third degree; or the crime of criminal mischief in the first degree and the victim is a current or former spouse, parent, child, any person with whom the defendant has a child in common, a present or former household member, or a person who has or had a dating or engagement relationship with the defendant.
Domestic violence in the second degree is a Class B felony, except the defendant shall serve a minimum term of imprisonment of six months without consideration of probation, parole, good time credits, or any reduction in time for any second or subsequent conviction under this subsection.
Prater began his career with TSU-TV in Troy. He worked at WTVY in Dothan and at WSFA-TV in Montgomery before moving to the Birmingham market in 1994 to join WBRC.
Two years later, he moved to ABC 33/40 where he remained until 2004.