A man in Flagler County, Florida, is accused of stealing a woman’s teddy bear that contained her deceased son’s ashes. Authorities also accuse him of stalking and tracking the victim with a GPS.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO), the incident occurred on Saturday, August 1. At the time, deputies responded to the Flagler Beach Police Department (FBPD) after a woman arrived to report disturbing behavior from a man she met on a dating app.
The victim said that this individual, identified as 31-year-old Justin Fountain, had become increasingly controlling and aggressive. This behavior, unfortunately, didn’t stop escalating.
The FCSO detailed that the man had followed her around and incessantly texted her. The latter happened after Fountain allegedly stole the woman’s teddy bear containing her son’s ashes.
Stalking and Tracking
The disturbing nature of the man’s behavior was detailed by the victim. After she broke off contact with the man she met online, Fountain is accused of showing up at her workplace without notice. She told him to leave her alone, to no avail.
Then, as she returned to her hotel, she came across Fountain’s car in the parking lot. The man was not willing to leave her alone. He didn’t listen, as he also followed her to Culvers and attempted to talk to her. Fountain is accused of installing a tracking device to track the victim’s whereabouts, although details regarding the device and where exactly it was installed were not shared.
It appeared that Fountain was not willing to grant the woman’s wishes. Instead, he decided to escalate things, the FCSO said.
Text Messages, Stolen Teddy Bear
According to the sheriff’s office, while at Flagler Beach, the victim received alerts on her phone. Someone had signed into her social media accounts. Fountain was to blame, as the victim believed he had gained access to them while she slept.
Threats followed as an attempt to prevent the woman from calling the authorities. Text messages cited by the FCSO include, “You need to answer my calls if you know what’s good for you” and “I’m going to destroy you.”
It was at this time that Fountain revealed to the woman that he had stolen her teddy bear. Should she continue to ignore him, he was going to burn it, even though the woman’s son’s ashes were inside.
Teddy Bear Located, Suspect Arrested
Deputies were able to locate the suspect as he drove northbound along Interstate-95. A traffic stop was conducted.
Fountain claimed he was driving to Georgia, the FCSO said. Still, following a vehicle search, deputies found the stolen teddy bear. He was placed under arrest.
Justin Fountain is charged with aggravated stalking, extortion, hindering communication with law enforcement, unauthorized installation of a tracking device, and access to an electronic device without authority.