VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A two-county chase ended with a man under arrest, accused of stalking his ex-girlfriend and running from authorities before jumping into the Halifax River.

Justin Tyler Blake was scheduled to face a judge at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. The 24-year-old man will later be extradited to Flagler County.

Justin Tyler Blake, 24. (Volusia County Jail)

Some of the charges Blake is facing is, with more possible:

  • Aggravated assault on a law officer
  • Stalking 
  • Driving with a suspended license
  • Resisting an officer without violence
  • Domestic battery 
  • Fleeing and eluding law officers using lights and sirens

The incident started in Flagler on Tuesday night with an argument between Blake and his ex-girlfriend.

The woman told deputies as she was leaving AdventHealth in Palm Coast she saw a U-Haul truck in the parking lot; the suspect exited that vehicle and then walked towards her.

She then told deputies that she went into McDonald's to hide and call for help, but Blake followed her to a RaceTrac at State Road 100 and Old Kings Road. 

The woman's friend arrived, but Blake allegedly grabbed his ex-girlfriend's arm and would not let her get into her friend's car, deputies said.

The ex-girlfriend suffered scrapes and a large red mark on her left forearm. She also shared with deputies that Blake had been stalking her for several months, even following her from their former home in Texas to Florida. She claimed she feared for her life and safety of her children.​

Deputies put tire-flattening "stop sticks" behind the right tire of Blake's U-Haul truck Tuesday night.

However, Blake put the truck in reverse and tried to run over a deputy before taking off, driving down State Road 100 and onto I-95 southbound, according to Flagler County Sheriff's Office. 

By mile marker 279, the suspect exited the moving vehicle and ran into the wood line off Old Kings Road.

Blake then made his way to the area of Water's Edge senior mobile home park in Volusia County before jumping into the Halifax River.

He was finally caught by Volusia County Beach Safety, with the help of South Daytona Police, as authorities hopped aboard a Jet Ski-device to take Blake into custody Wednesday.