Local

Orange County man accused of stalking ex using GPS tracker

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Orange County man was behind bars Monday after police said he used a GPS tracking unit to stalk his ex-girlfriend.

Johnny James Jones appeared in court over the weekend on charges of false imprisonment and stalking in connection with the situation.

His ex-girlfriend said she didn’t know she was being tracked.

What Jones is alleged to have done is not something a person would generally spend time in jail for, WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said.

“Surprisingly, installing a tracking device on someone’s vehicle without them knowing is a second-degree misdemeanor,” he said.

Allegations that Jones had been stalking and harassing his ex-girlfriend for months is likely what landed him behind bars, deputies said.

She reported every contact, including unwanted emails and when she saw Jones driving by her house early in the morning, investigators said.

Everything together will likely cause the court to keep a close eye on Jones to make sure the behavior he is accused of doesn’t become violent, Sheaffer said.

“The court’s going to want to put this guy under a microscope for as long as possible to make sure this activity doesn’t turn into something more violent,” Sheaffer said.