Deputies: Man who stalked ex-girlfriend to face judge Thursday

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - A man accused of stalking his ex-girlfriend all across the country to Central Florida, was so desperate, deputies say, he turned his rage on them.

Justin Blake, 24, is now behind bars, facing a slew of charges out of Flagler and Volusia counties after investigators say he twice ran away from deputies and tried to run one of them over. 

Blake will go before a judge a Volusia County judge on Thursday.

There were tense moments as deputies tried to take Blake into custody.  He is accused of following his ex from Texas to Florida. He was finally apprehended on Wednesday night in Volusia County. Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly says he knew they would catch him.

“We will eventually get him. If you come to Flagler County, we're going to do anything we can to try to find you,” said Sheriff Staly.

Deputies say the girlfriend moved several times with their children to get away from Blake.  The latest incident started Tuesday night at a McDonald’s near Bunnell, where deputies say Blake found and approached her, grabbing her.  She ran inside and called police, but when officers arrived, Blake hopped into a rental U-Haul.

“He then went forward and attempted to strike one of my deputy sheriffs. You try to run over one of my deputies, he's lucky that he wasn't shot last night,” said Sheriff Staly.

Deputies say Blake took off, running over stop sticks and driving until his tire deflated.  He left the U-Haul on Interstate 95 and ran into the woods. Deputies spent 24 hours trying to find him.

“He’s a desperate individual, and you really never know what a desperate individual could do.”

Police finally spotted him in the water in South Daytona. With nowhere to hide, Blake was arrested.  He now faces more charges from the chase he led them on in South Daytona.

Blake was booked into the Volusia County Jail and will be taken to Flagler County to face charges from Tuesday night, including aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, stalking, operating a vehicle with no Florida license, resisting an officer without violence, domestic battery and fleeing and eluding with lights/sirens.