VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A registered sex offender left dozens of handwritten letters, called from 40 different phone numbers and used a stolen key to break into a home while stalking his ex-girlfriend for several months, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said the victim reported the allegations against Jose Diaz on Friday.
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She said the stalking began when she and Diaz had a fight May 20 in the parking lot of her work and he told her, "Your car is going to have bullet holes soon," according to the affidavit.
Initially, she thought Diaz was just angry because of their recent break-up, but she became more and more fearful as his behavior escalated.
Deputies said the victim showed them 49 handwritten letters, most of which were written on the back side of envelopes. The letters were left in the woman's mailbox, on her porch table, on her vehicle mirror and in some cases, on her garbage can, which would then be placed behind her car so she would see the notes as she went to move the trash can to back out, records show.
Home surveillance video recorded the night of July 20 showed Diaz knocking on the victim's sliding glass door. She begged him to leave, and he replied with: "I really need to talk to you. Why do you treat me this way?" according to the affidavit.
Deputies said he eventually left but returned on multiple occasions, including one time when the victim came home to find Diaz in her bed. She believes Diaz took a key from the home when the two were dating, the report said. She has since changed her locks.
Diaz is also accused of using 40 different phone numbers to contact the victim, all of which she blocked. Calls were also placed to the victim's work, where Diaz left 25 voicemails, according to the affidavit.
The victim said she's constantly on guard and doesn't feel safe in her own home.
Diaz was arrested Sunday at his home in Longwood. He faces an aggravated stalking charge.
Records show that in 2016, Diaz was found guilty of unlawful sexual activity with a teenager.