COCOA BEACH, Fla. – A man is accused of stalking his ex-girlfriend and hiding a tracker in her car for several months in Cocoa Beach.

Police arrested Walter Hite Jr. earlier this month and charged him with several felonies, including stalking.

The first criminal charges stemmed from a traffic stop, then quickly escalated during a search.

Hite Jr.’s original charges were driving an unregistered vehicle and driving without a proper license.

Investigators say police impounded the car on those charges. When they searched the vehicle, they found a tracker in its glove compartment.

Police say they found the matching tracker under the victim’s vehicle near the back seat.

Cocoa Beach police charged Walter Hite Jr. with multiple felonies, including installing a tracking device, stalking, cyber stalking and not having a state license while a resident.

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In the arrest report, the victim showed police messages asking him several times not to contact her.

Things escalated when the suspect showed up unexpectedly at a Cocoa Beach restaurant and followed her as she left.

The victim then flagged down police officers because she was concerned for her safety.

“It is very concerning and he has done everything right in this particular case. She was aware of her surroundings. He immediately found a law enforcement officer and stopped for assistance, he was able to give them all the information they needed to give them a happy resolution. for her,” said Jacki Hughes, who is the public information officer for the Cocoa Beach Police Department.

Police recovered two tracking devices during the investigation and say the devices are easy to find and buy online.

“This is very unusual. This is not something I’ve seen in my workplace yet. It’s a first for me. I’ve heard about it in articles but I’ve never seen it before,” added Taylor Payne who is a detective sergeant with the Cocoa Beach police.

Police say a case like this underscores how important it is to always be aware of your surroundings and keep track if you’re dealing with any kind of stalking.

If you tell someone to stop contacting you and they don’t, you should go to law enforcement to see what kind of protections can be put in place to keep the stalker away.

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