A man with a history of stalking pop star Billie Eilish died after being struck by a train in Long Island early Wednesday morning.
Prenell Rousseau, 30, from Farmingdale, was hit by a Long Island Rail Road train in Westbury at around 5.38am, according to local officials.
Police said Rousseau had been jogging near the tracks at the time, and his death is currently being treated as an accident, reported The Post.
Rousseau first came to public attention in 2020 when he repeatedly showed up at Eilish’s Los Angeles home, prompting the singer and her family to obtain a restraining order against him.
Court documents describe him as exhibiting ‘erratic behavior’ during multiple visits to the home she shares with her parents in May of that year, culminating in his arrest for trespassing.
During one of those encounters, the singer’s father Patrick O’Connell reportedly spoke to Rousseau at the door, and Rousseau allegedly admitted he might have the wrong house – only to return later the same day.
A man with a history of stalking pop star Billie Eilish died after being struck by a train in Long Island early Wednesday morning; (pictured in 2020)
Rousseau first came to public attention in 2020 when he repeatedly showed up at Eilish’s Los Angeles home, prompting the singer and her family to obtain a restraining order against him; (pictured 2019)
Court documents revealed that Rousseau returned multiple times over May 4 and 5, exhibiting increasingly erratic behaviour that left Eilish and her family shaken.
Her attorney, Mark D. Passin, requested a five-year restraining order, but Judge Gould-Saltman ultimately issued a three-year order.
Gould-Saltman noted that it could be extended if Rousseau attempted further contact.
During his first appearance at the home, Rousseau rang the doorbell and asked Eilish’s father, Patrick, through the Ring camera whether the singer lived there.
Although Patrick told him he had the wrong address, Rousseau came back later that evening.
The court filings describe unsettling behavior: at one point, he sat on the porch reading a book while talking to himself, ignoring repeated requests from Patrick to leave.
When private security arrived, he reluctantly departed – only to return again that night, lying behind a wall as if planning to stay there.
The family’s fear was compounded by Rousseau’s disregard for basic COVID precautions: he failed to wear a face mask during five of his visits and repeatedly touched the doorbell and doorknobs with bare hands, heightening the sense of intrusion.
Police said Rousseau had been jogging near the tracks at the time, and his death is currently being treated as an accident; (pictured in 2020)
Eilish described the incidents in the filings as ‘frightening’, emphasising the strain it placed on her and her family.
Despite the restraining order, Rousseau’s persistence and unpredictable behaviour made the encounters deeply unsettling.
Rousseau’s Instagram account also featured unsettling content, including a drawing resembling the singer alongside a cryptic message: ‘Anyway — I love u b … that is all.’
