Paparazzo in Witherspoon Scuffle Makes Plea

FULLERTON -- A paparazzo accused of using aggressive tactics in photographing actress Reese Witherspoon and her family at Disney's California Adventure pleaded innocent to six misdemeanor charges.

Todd Kevin Wallace, 44, entered his plea before Orange County Superior Court Commissioner George Berenson, who appointed a public defender to represent the defendant after he said he could not afford his own attorney.

Wallace faces four counts of battery against two California Adventure employees, as well as a 5-year-old girl and her mother.

He is also charged with false imprisonment and causing unjustifiable mental suffering under circumstances and conditions other than those likely to produce great bodily harm or death.

Berenson, who remains free on his own recognizance pending his next court hearing on Oct. 28, faces up to 3 1/2 years in jail if convicted, Assistant City Attorney Pat Ahle said.

Berenson initially instructed Wallace to stay 500 yards away from Witherspoon. But he amended his order to 300 yards after the photographer said he lived within 500 yards of the actress.

Wallace told reporters outside the courtroom that he has photos and video from the Sept. 2 encounter, showing he did nothing wrong.

Wallace allegedly struck a girl with his camera as he worked to get shots of Witherspoon and her family, who was at the theme park adjacent Disneyland for a birthday outing for her 6-year-old daughter.

Wallace was initially issued a citation after the alleged confrontation with the group, based on his alleged use of his body to push the two employees, who were trying to get the party away from him, according to Anaheim police Sgt. Rick Martinez.

Wallace had taken photos of the actress from a distance, and the picture- taking did not become an issue until he got close to the group and allegedly became aggressive, frightening members of the party, according to Martinez.

Members of the party got to a back stage area, where Disney security, and Anaheim police were called, Martinez said.

The complaint against Wallace lists 13 other names, one involving a change in spelling. Others include Tim Siterz, Tim Sitelz, Steve Walker, Tim Schlitz and Jack Kent Esserman.

The names, along with different dates of birth, were submitted by various agencies to the Department of Justice, which matched up to the first set of fingerprints attributed to Todd Kevin Wallace, Ahle said.

Ahle said the names and birth dates could be submitted for various reasons such as background checks, as well as for arrests.

"I can't say which agencies submitted those sets of names and fingerprints," he said earlier this week.

Wallace, whose only listed address is a Beverly Hills post office box, was convicted in Los Angeles County in 1993 of second-degree burglary and receiving goods by fraud, and served more than four years in prison, according to state corrections records.

In an unrelated incident, Witherspoon complained to police last April about paparazzi who chased her from her Brentwood gym to her home, but no charges resulted.

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