Florida man accused of stalking woman using tracking device

MARTIN COUNTY Florida WPBF The Martin County Sheriff s Office arrested a man accused of using a tracking device to stalk a woman for nearly a month According to the probable cause announcement the man is accused of putting a tracking device in the woman s car to stalk her for three weeks The woman reported investigators the two used to be in a relationship and she had noticed him following her as far as Orlando before she suspected the device The MCSO arrested Grant Guidry on charges of stalking and installing a tracking device WPBF News caught up with Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek to better understand how the devices are used and how they can be identified Budensiek announced that as hardware continues advancing he expects to see more of these tracking devices The sheriff announced they re often hard to find especially if the victim doesn t suspect they re being followed Tracking devices are not like they are in the movies they are smaller and smaller I mean a few of them can be as small as something to track a package Budensiek reported He used the Apple AirTag as an example of how small the device can be Tracking devices really now come in all shapes and sizes You can disguise them and hide them in different locations he notified WPBF As for how to identify them or check for them he mentioned knowing what exactly to look for or where exactly to look becomes harder as the devices get smaller and easier to conceal We ve seen them dropped in purses we ve seen them dropped in cars You ve got to be real careful with these devices When you take your car in for an oil change it s not a bad idea to have your mechanics take a good once-over of the car he noted If someone feels they might be being tracked he reported to document it and review the issue to law enforcement If you have an individual that you re having issues with and they re just appearing at different places where they shouldn t know you would be then I would absolutely have your car searched thoroughly and if you locate something please contact the sheriff s office or whatever local law enforcement entities there We ll do our best to track that back and try to make an arrest and keep this from continuing to happen Budensiek recounted WPBF The sheriff stated it s essential for people to know the laws when it comes to tracking devices because they aren t as clear-cut as one might think Florida law states several examples of when it s legal to use a tracking device A law enforcement officer as defined in s or any local state federal or military law enforcement agency that lawfully installs places or uses a tracking device or tracking application on another person s property as part of a criminal assessment A parent or legal guardian of a minor child who installs places or uses a tracking device or tracking application on the minor child s property if The parents or legal guardians are lawfully married to each other and are not separated or otherwise living apart and either parent or legal guardian consents to the installation placement or use of the tracking device or tracking application The parent or legal guardian is the sole surviving parent or legal guardian of the minor child The parent or legal guardian has sole custody of the minor child or The parents or legal guardians are divorced separated or otherwise living apart and both consent to the installation placement or use of the tracking device or tracking application A caregiver of an elderly person or disabled adult as those terms are defined in s if the elderly person s or disabled adult s treating physician certifies that the installation or placement of a tracking device or tracking application onto the elderly person s or disabled adult s property or the use of a tracking device or tracking application to determine the location or movement of the elderly person or disabled person or his or her property is necessary to ensure the safety of the elderly person or disabled adult A person acting in good faith on behalf of a business entity for a legitimate business purpose This paragraph does not apply to a person engaged in private inspection as defined in s on behalf of another person unless such exercises would otherwise be exempt under this subsection if performed by the person engaging the private investigator An owner or lessee of a motor bicycle that installs places or uses or directs the installation placement or use of a tracking device or tracking application on such bus during the period of ownership or lease provided that The tracking device or tracking application is removed before the truck s title is transferred or the automobile s lease expires The new owner of the wagon in the episode of a sale or the lessor of the wagon in the situation of an expired lease consents in writing to the non-removal of the tracking device or tracking application or The owner of the van at the time of the installation or placement of the tracking device or tracking application was the original manufacturer of the carriage and the next owner of the motorcycle was informed of the location and how to remove the device before the automobile title is transferred If a person is located to have violated those exemptions they could be charged with a felony Budensiek explained in this greater part latest event the device helped them to be able to arrest the suspect since they had physical evidence However he noted stalking cases can be extremely hard to prove You have to have almost a confession from the stalker or video surveillance that shows them coming by at weird times showing up in places that they ought not be he stated Budensiek announced residents places are where it becomes demanding to prove if a person is veritably stalking someone Just happening to end up in the same place as the person that you re trying to follow is really hard to prove that they didn t just accidentally bump in each other This episode he drove all the way to Orlando and just happened to be where she was We know what he was doing but we can t prove what he was doing he mentioned He explained it s major for people to document instances where they feel someone might be stalking them and collect as much documentation and evidence for when they file a statement