SAN DIEGO — The CEO of a major San Diego solar company is behind bars, facing felony domestic violence and stalking charges.
Sullivan Solar Power shut its doors last month, leaving surprised customers wondering what happened to its CEO, Daniel Sullivan.
Jail records showed officers arrested Sullivan on Monday. He pleaded not guilty to stalking charges on Wednesday morning. His bail is set at $1 million.
“We’ve charged him with three felony violations of stalking, that carries a maximum possible punishment of five years, four months in prison,” said Deputy District Attorney Chris Campbell outside Vista court on Wednesday.
The San Diego resident founded Sullivan Solar Power in 2004, and he was touted in various trade journals as a high-flying solar CEO.
Last month, the business mysteriously shut down, leaving customers high and dry, unable to contact the company.
Sullivan is facing three counts of stalking his former girlfriend, as well as misdemeanor charges of disobeying a temporary restraining order the woman had obtained against him.
“In March, he contacted her again, started making malicious threats, sending her inappropriate videos of heads in frying pans, sending her texts of hashtag cartel life,” said the woman’s family law attorney, Frank Terrazas.
News 8 is not identifying the woman by name because she is an alleged victim of domestic violence.
San Diego court records showed Sullivan was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence against the same woman in 2017.
The current temporary restraining order alleges Sullivan sent threatening text message to the woman. Then on November 10, the woman alleges Sullivan let the air out of the tires on her car
“While she was airing up her tires, she immediately received a text message from Mr. Sullivan saying, ‘tire problems aren’t fun’ with a fire emoji,” Terrazas said.
Sullivan pleaded not guilty in Vista court. He remained in custody Wednesday with bail set at $1 million.
“Obviously in domestic violence cases and stalking cases -- which is what this case is -- we are concerned for the safety of the victim. Based on the charges we've brought forward in the complaint; we believe that a million dollars is reasonable to keep the victim and the community safe,” said DDA Campbell.
News 8 reached out to Sullivan's attorney, Vikas Bajaj, who declined to be interviewed.
Bajaj issued a statement saying, “Sullivan's actions do not rise to the level of criminal activity and we look forward to proving that in court."
Sullivan will be back in court for a bail review hearing on Friday, Dec. 3.
If he does get released on bail, the judge ordered Sullivan be monitored with a GPS device.
WATCH RELATED: Daniel Sullivan in Vista court for stalking charges (November 2021)