Local

Teen describes escape from man accused of stalking her

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A Brevard County man accused of trying to grab a teenage girl as she walked home from the bus stop may soon be released from jail, Channel 9 has learned.

The 15-year-old girl told police that Joseph Thompson started yelling at her from his car while she was walking to her house in Palm Bay from her bus stop on Tuesday.

Investigators said Thompson got out of the car and chased the girl more than a half-mile to her house, where her brother called 911.

The teen girl told police Thompson began honking to get her to come to his car and then started chasing her when she ignored him.

“I managed to cut across a couple yards, trying to distance myself from him,” the victim told Channel 9’s Kendra Oestreich.

She called her older brother, who called police.

"She called me crying, saying there was a guy following her," the girl's brother told the dispatcher.

Police soon arrived at the home and arrested Thompson, who has been jailed on $11,000 bond.

The girl contacted her mother, who was at work and called authorities from there.

"There's a man following my daughter on the way home from the bus stop," the girl's mother told dispatchers.

"I just told her run straight to the house and call me once she gets inside," the girl's brother said.

Once inside her home, the girl said Thompson kept pacing outside her house.

Investigators said she kept her cool to give her mother a good description.

"He had a red shirt and shorts, no shoes," the mother told dispatchers. "She still hears him outside. He actually spoke to her.  He has slurred speech."

Police found Thompson's SUV a couple blocks away.

Officers found him still walking around the neighborhood and said they found a condom, marijuana and a sheath for a knife inside his pockets.

The mother told Oestreich she felt helpless when her daughter called.

“I’m just happy she’s fine. I’m grateful she’s with us, she’s unharmed,” the mother said. “Unfortunately this is a man that's extremely sick, and he just thought he might have had an opportunity and thank God she outsmarted him."

Thompson is being held on an $11,000 bond.

Once Thompson gets out of jail,  he will be fitted with a GPS monitor.

Police said they will keep a close eye on him.