Deputies in Flagler County, Florida arrested a man on Saturday after he allegedly terrorized his ex-girlfriend. Aaron James Thayer, 39, threatened to kill the woman, broke into her home using a tire iron, took her gun, cocked the weapon, and chased her, authorities said.
As seen on body cam video, deputies rushed to the front yard of the home and told the suspect to get on the ground.
“For what?” he asked with his hands behind his head. One of the deputies tasered him. They told him to roll over on his stomach and put his hands behind his back.
“He’s got a fucking gun in his waistband!” said the other deputy. They handcuffed Thayer, who denied wrongdoing and yelled “I love you!” to someone multiple times.
The defendant construed himself as the wronged party and maintained he was just returning home. However, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office described the defendant as the victimizer.
According to law enforcement, the ex-girlfriend told deputies that Thayer had been physically abusive in the past, even chipping one of her teeth with a kick to the face using steel toe boots. She said she reached out to law enforcement after the defendant claimed she was having relationships with other people.
Thayer, who was in Connecticut for work, allegedly wrote texts including “I’m coming down and I’m gonna fix this for ever” and “Imma kill you.”
On top of that, the ex-girlfriend said that Thayer was keeping an eye on her through security cameras in her home. She asked deputies to stay out of view. Indeed, the defendant allegedly called the woman while she was speaking to the authorities. Deputies said they could hear him ask who was at the house with her and that he said he was going there to kill her.
The woman declined deputies’ offer to get her to a safe location, but authorities kept an eye on the home. Finally, she called 911 on Saturday just after 3 p.m., telling dispatchers that Thayer armed himself with what turned out to be a tire iron, broke into the home through the back, and threatened to kill her. Thayer allegedly grabbed a gun from her nightstand, cocked it, threatened to kill her, and chased her. He also stole $400, deputies said.
Deputies said the suspect drove overnight to get to Florida.
Thayer is charged with attempted murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, resisting an officer without violence, petit theft, and making written threats to kill or injure. Records do not name an attorney.
[Screengrab via Flagler County Sheriff’s Office]
