Sheriff’s detectives are asking for the public’s help in an investigation into reports of stalking activity involving a suspect with a prior conviction in an attempted kidnapping of a 16-year-old girl.
On Tuesday, Deputies conducted a traffic stop in DeBary, Volusia County, and arrested Jonathan Buchanan, 31, on a criminal traffic violation and violation of probation charge.
The arrest followed a report received Monday from a 25-year-old female victim who told deputies that a man followed her in his car while she was out jogging in DeBary.
Deputies say the incident occurred the previous Monday morning in the area of Community Drive and South Shell Road in Volusia County.
The victim said she was out running around 7:30 a.m. when a silver Dodge Caliber passed her twice, including once very closely from behind, on the wrong side of the road. The car passed her two more times and then followed her to a dead end before she was able to run to a group of construction workers for help.
Before the suspect vehicle drove away, the victim was able to capture a video clip on her phone, which included the tag number: QWYR78. That tag came back to Buchanan, whose registered address is in South Daytona, but who has been living in DeBary without updating his address, a violation of his probation.
Buchanan was previously arrested in 2017 and later convicted in the attempted kidnapping of a 16-year-old girl on the way to her bus stop in Ponce Inlet.
In that case, Buchanan got out of his vehicle, approached the victim, tried to start a conversation with her, and then put his hand over her mouth and tried to force her into his vehicle. She bit him and escaped, and Buchanan fled, but Ponce Inlet police later found him in his vehicle with his pants unbuttoned and a stuffed animal in the front seat.
While Buchanan’s vehicle tag and personal description match the victim’s report in the DeBary case, detectives are asking for any additional victims or witnesses to come forward with information. Social media activity suggests there may be other victims in DeBary or elsewhere who might have information that would assist in the investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Sgt. Ryan Mills at rmills@vcso.us or 386-668-3830.
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