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DELTONA, Fla. (WFLA) — A suspicious looking man was arrested Sunday night after Volusia County deputies found him walking in a Deltona neighborhood with a ski mask over his head.
Deputies said they later learned the suspect, Jalen Vallejos, 20, was on his way to his ex-girlfriend’s home to “watch her while she slept,” and had been doing so for six to eight months.
“I just watch her from the outside,” Vallejos told deputies when questioned.
However, items found in his possession indicated to law enforcement he might have been up to more than just watching her sleep Sunday night.
Vallejos was carrying a knife, lock-picking tools and a backpack full of other unusual items, authorities said. According to the sheriff’s office, the backpack contained duct tape, wire cutters, spray paint and a sledgehammer.
The 20-year-old eventually told deputies “he wasn’t sure of his intentions on this night, but was afraid his actions could escalate,” the sheriff’s office said. He also admitted that he potentially planned to use some of the items in his backpack on his ex’s father if confronted.
“I’m afraid,” Vallejos said when asked if his actions could ever escalate.
Vallejos was charged with aggravated stalking, attempted armed burglary, loitering or prowling, possession of burglary tools and criminal mischief.
He was taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail and was being held without bond.